Advancing Competency-based Assessment in Entrepreneurship Michael H. Morris, Ph.D. Professor and N....
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Transcript of Advancing Competency-based Assessment in Entrepreneurship Michael H. Morris, Ph.D. Professor and N....
Assessment of What? Assessment of What? (for us---(for us---student level, course level and program level)student level, course level and program level)
CompetencyCompetency : : defineddefined
Competence is a fuzzy concept useful in bridging the gap between education and job requirements (Boon and van der Klink (2002)
To have competencies is to possess the necessary attributes to perform competently (Burgoyne, 1988)
A characteristic of an individual that has been shown to drive superior job performance (Hartle, 1995)
Observable behaviors that superior performers exhibit more consistently than average performers (Klein, 1996)
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CompetencyCompetency : : defineddefined
Competencies include knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, behaviors and characteristics that people need to do a job successfully (Bryant & Poustie, 2001)
They correlate with job performance, can be measured against standards, and can be improved with training (Bryant & Poustie, 2001)
One can contrast areas of competence (aspects of the job which an individual can perform) with competency (a person’s behavior underpinning competent performance)
Competencies are connected to activities & tasks, subject to learning and developmental processes, and tend to be interrelated (Bergevoet, Mulder and Van Woerkum, 2005)
IMAGINE > BELIEVE > CREATE OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
Why teaching competencies Why teaching competencies matters…matters…
‘competency’ is a term that allows for flexibility in adapting to diverse and changing organizational demands (Garman and Johnson, 2006)
From an hrm perspective, a competency is something that can be developed (Klarus, et al., 1999)
Management Management vs.vs. Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship
Management: Getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives. It comprises PODSCORB
Entrepreneurship: Recognizing and exploiting opportunity through new combinations. But what does it comprise?
IMAGINE > BELIEVE > CREATE OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
The entrepreneurial The entrepreneurial experience…experience…
Limited Sense of Control
Loneliness Ambiguity Dejection
Stress Freedom Exhilaration
Uncertainty
Responsibility Self-reliance
Learning Adaptation Discipline
Change
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Does the context matter?Does the context matter?
Start-up
Small or family business
Buying a business
Franchising
Corporate entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship
Public sector entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship in a discipline (art, engineering)
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Or is the behavior Or is the behavior universal?universal?
Innovative, risk-taking, proactive behaviors
Acting upon opportunity
Unique combinations
Creating something from nothing (or from something very different)
A mindset that is both attitudinal and behavioral
…regardless of the context
IMAGINE> BELIEVE > CREATE OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
And so…And so…
Perhaps the managerial requirements or competencies needed to succeed in social entrepreneurship or corporate entrepreneurship or new venture creation differ
But do the entrepreneurial competencies differ? Perhaps not!
IMAGINE> BELIEVE > CREATE OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
Stage 1 Methodology: Stage 1 Methodology: Delineating CompetenciesDelineating Competencies
Two expert panels
Three waves
Survey Monkey
Produced total of 167 competencies
Split into two major groups: managerial and entrepreneurial
Eventually arrived at 13 core entrepreneurial competencies
The key competenciesThe key competencies (note their (note their inter-dependencies)inter-dependencies)
Recognizing Opportunity
Assessing Opportunity
Vision/Seeing the Future
Creative Problem-solving
Resource Leveraging/Bootstrapping
Mitigating and Managing Risk
Planning/Modeling When Nothing Exists
Innovation---Value-driven New Product and Concept Development
Building and Managing Networks
The Ability to Maintain Focus Yet Adapt
Action Orientation/Implementation
Tenacity/Perseverance
Ability to Learn from Experiences
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Distinguishing Sample Distinguishing Sample CompetenciesCompetencies
managerial
Organizing Team building &
Staffing Communicating Budgeting Controlling Motivating Planning Directing Operating Assessing
entrepreneurial
Recognizing Opportunity Assessing Opportunity Creative Problem-solving Resource Leveraging Guerrilla Skills Mitigating and Managing
Risk Planning When Nothing
Exists Innovation---Products,
Services, Processes Building & Managing
Social Networks Adaptation while
Focusing Implementation of
Something Novel or New
So we are doing bothSo we are doing both
Developing managerial competencies in the business school
Developing entrepreneurial competencies in the entrepreneurship program
Both are needed for success in an entrepreneurial context, although the relative importance of a given competency will vary
IMAGINE> BELIEVE > CREATE OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
How do we teach these How do we teach these competencies?competencies?
Lectures define each competency illustrate each strategies for managing each examples relate to other competencies and learning
points repetition
Experiential learning in the classroom
Experiential learning outside the classroom
Teaching: experiential Teaching: experiential learninglearning
Cases Student incubators Tech commercialization teams Small business consulting projects Entrepreneurial audits Marketing inventions Creativity field experiences (e.g., the Lowe’s
experience) Simulations Entrepreneurs in the classroom Interviews of E’s Unique internships Mentorships and job shadowing Role plays (VC’s, family firms, etc.) Business models Business plans and competitions Social entrepreneurship projects in the
community
Linking experiential learning to Linking experiential learning to outreachoutreach
Native American Entrepreneurship Academy
Community Microcredit Fund Entrepreneurship Empowerment in South
Africa Inner City Engagement Disabled Veterans Bootcamp OSU Entrepreneur’s Bootcamp Riata Business Plan Competition Entrepreneurial Mentors Program OSU Technology Commercialization
Initiative Dilemmas and Debates Enterprise Creation Competition, a
national business plan competition Women Igniting the Spirit of
Entrepreneurship The Experiential Classroom Riata Entrepreneurial Internships Distinguished Lectures & Workshops Commercial Test Kitchen
Connectivity is keyConnectivity is key
Integrate across the E curriculum
Contexts Competencies
Start-up Ventures
Early growth firms
Family Businesses
Rapid Growth Ventures
Corporate Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship within Professions & Disciplines
Non-Profit & Social Entrepreneurship
Public Sector
Cultural Entrepreneurship
Academic Entrepreneurship
Opportunity Identification
Opportunity Assessment
Resource Leveraging
Guerrilla Techniques
New Product- Service-Process Development
Risk Management
Creativity
Adaptation
Social Networking
Implementation Skills
Novel planning
Measuring competencies—Measuring competencies—some caveats some caveats Luken 2004; Le Diest Luken 2004; Le Diest and Winterton, 2005and Winterton, 2005
the definition of a given competence is not a homogeneous definition
competencies are not stable
competence assessments are always subjective
competence assessments are based on individuals, whereas the definition of the competence concept tries to include the context as well
Competence or skill is tied to an individual, but the individual’s competence may vary depending on context
the competence concept includes capacity, whereas it is also important to look at actual performance
Sub-dimensions in Sub-dimensions in mastering a competencymastering a competency
Knowledge and Understanding: what do you need to know about resource leveraging
Attitude/Affect and Self-Awareness: what do you need to think, believe and feel about resource leveraging?
Skills and Behaviors: what do you need to be able to do in terms of resource leveraging?
These are all learning outcomes
We can do more not just in terms of conveying knowledge, but in all three areas, especially
to the extent that we stress experiential learning
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Each competency requires a Each competency requires a definition and level of definition and level of
proficiencyproficiency
Definition:
What do we mean by the competency?
Level of Proficiency:
What must the student be able to demonstrate in terms of knowledge, skills, capabilities and attitudes he competency to indicate mastery of the competency?
An illustrationAn illustration
Example:Risk management
Definition: The ability to identify relevant risks surrounding an entrepreneurial
action and systematically mitigate those risks.
Level of Proficiency:
1. Understands key types of risks2. Can identify principle risks surrounding
a given entrepreneurial action3. Can prioritize risks based on magnitude
and probability of loss4. Is able to develop specific actions to
-stage the risk-share the risk-reduce the risk
IMAGINE> BELIEVE > CREATE OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
Sample ways to break it downSample ways to break it down Knowledge
Nature of risk versus uncertainty Dimensions of risk Categories of risk General techniques for mitigating risk
Attitudes/values Willingness to assume moderate levels of risk Belief that risk is manageable Sense of association between risk level and potential
return
Behaviors/Skills Ability to estimate risk Ability to isolate risk Ability to moderate level of risk
A second illustrationA second illustration
Example:Opportunity identification
Definition: The ability to specify unrecognized or unfilled gaps in the external environment creating an opening for a new product, service or process.
Level of Proficiency:
1. Understands general sources of opportunity2. Is capable of scanning the environment to
identify emerging patterns & trends, competitor shortcomings,
unutilized resources & unmet needs3. Can connect an opening in the environment
to a specific target audience with a need
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Sample ways to it down… Sample ways to it down… Knowledge
Key sources of opportunity Major types of opportunity The nature of opportunities Four ways in which opportunities are identified Understanding of specific opportunity generation techniques
Attitudes/values Curiosity about why things work a certain way Value one places on being alert to opportunity Openness to being exposed to diverse and changing situations
Behaviors/Skills Ability to draw associations Ability to grasp and hold onto ideas as they occur to us Ability to assess customer needs Response to a failure (e.g., elevator pitch loss) # of opportunities generated Novelty of ideas generated
Measurement approachesMeasurement approaches
Pre- and post- measures using rating scales
Judging experiential project portfolio
Behavioral event interviews
In class assessments tied to exercises
Student diaries or registers
Peer assessments
Self-assessments at end of program
Behavioral assessments after graduation
(see also Bird, 1995)
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Examples of existing scales Examples of existing scales that tie inthat tie in
Innovativeness: Kirton Adaption Innovation Inventory
Networking: Hatala Network Accessibility Scale
Ambiguity Tolerance: Budner’s Tolerance for Ambiguity Scale
Adaptability: Haynie and Shepherd’s Cognitive Adaptability Scale
Setting the standard for a Setting the standard for a rubricrubric
Criterion-referenced evaluation: student performance is assessed relative to standards set by the discipline or entrepreneurship faculty
Norm-referenced evaluation: students are evaluated on the basis of comparisons to other students
Establishing normsEstablishing norms We have no norms
Benchmarks must be established
Suggest we initially evaluate students relative to one another
Over time we might create benchmarks using successful entrepreneurs
But----are certain competencies more critical for success in certain types of contexts?
Is our focus less on achieving some absolute level on a competency ---- or more on showing improvement relative to where a student started?
Competency is a process of continual development through one’s life---not riding a bike---fades without practice
Sample template for scalesSample template for scales(Mertler 2001)(Mertler 2001)
Beginning1
Developing2
Accomplished
3
Exemplary4
Score
Criteria #1
description
description
description description
Criteria #1
description
description
description description
Criteria #1
description
description
description description
Criteria #1
description
description
description description
Total Score = _______ Score at Program Outset _______ Average Student Score ________
Some other tipsSome other tips Match measurement devices to instructional
goals
Do not rely on a single measure of a competency
Teacher judgment is the primary means for assessing competency
Certify competency in progressive stages
Get the students on your side
Allow for easy adjustment of competency measures as content changes
Allow a feedback loop where measurement of competencies is used to modify course content and curriculum design
-SeeTyo (1980)
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
-M. Gandhi