Developing an Entrepreneurship Culture The Greenwich Experience

• Published in: International journal of entrepreneurship and innovation Vol. 7; no. 4; pp. 231 - 241
• Main Authors: Sondakh, Danny F., Rajah, Kanes K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01-11-2006
• Subjects: Competitiveness; Economic development; Employment creation; Entrepreneurship; Government policy; Higher education; Organizational structure; United Kingdom; Universities; entrepreneurship education; Greenwich University; UK; knowledge economy; enterprise culture
• ISSN: 1465-7503; 2043-6882
• DOI: 10.5367/000000006779111611

Entrepreneurship is increasingly relevant to economic output and job creation in both developed and developing countries. It is especially important for the UK, so as to reverse a century of relative economic decline. This paper discusses the UK government's policy on entrepreneurship, and the objectives it has set for higher education institutions. It then goes on to present the initiatives taken by the University of Greenwich to develop an enterprise culture, both within and with the wider community. The paper focuses on the role played by the University's Centre for Entrepreneurship in helping it to contribute towards the UK's economic development and competitiveness. The conclusions reached indicate that higher education institutions need to behave entrepreneurially at both the staff and student levels in order to build an enterprise culture. Staff need to be bold in taking initiatives to seek out processes that can help shift the established paradigm and to introduce new content to achieve breakthroughs in the culture. This is also required to engage students and to help build their personal intangible assets as much as to facilitate them in starting up new enterprises.