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Entrepreneurial learning and creativity in the
moment
Professor David RaeLincoln Business SchoolUniversity of Lincoln
Professor David Rae• Entrepreneurship researcher, educator & writer• Career in small business, government & higher education• Entrepreneurial learning: PhD & publications 1999-2012• Director of Enterprise & Innovation, Lincoln Business School, University of Lincoln• Editor, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research: ‘human & social dynamics of entrepreneurship’ • Optimist, based on human creativity & potential for learning
‘Warycat’ on Twitter
Recall a ‘special moment’
Think back to a significant moment in your experience of life, learning or work
This may be anything memorable for you: An event A meeting A conversation An idea A decision A good or bad experience
Recall a ‘special moment’
Thinking of that significant moment…. What happened? How did you feel? What makes it special/memorable? How did it affect you subsequently? What did you do as a result? Share your story
Entrepreneurial Learning
How Entrepreneurs learn and create new business
opportunities
The ‘moment’:
A point in time when we experience conscious mental awareness of what is going on within our mind, or around us, and we are aware and able to remember our thinking and responses.
Its meaning is related to the human experience and generation of meaning in a conscious attention span of subjective duration.
Moments: truth & lightbulbs….Ernest Hemingway: The moment when the matador confronts the bull prior to the kill ‘momento de la verdad’(‘Death in the Afternoon’)
‘Lightbulb’ or ‘aha’ moment:Conscious realisation ofcreative inspiration
Why moments matter
We focus much of the time on ‘the future’ or ‘the past’ Most decisions and actions happen ‘now’- often without time to think! We behave authentically in the moment: intuition & instinct
The ‘aha’ or ‘Eureka’ discovery moment Recognising opportunities ‘Moments of truth’ - interactions, customers, competitors
Value created & captured by digital eye-brain interactions: Twitter messages Website visits Email, social media, messaging
Moments can become critical turning points in personal narratives of learning & identity
‘Momentary perspectives’ increasingly matter in understanding entrepreneurial opportunity recognition, behaviour & learning
A range of theoretical perspectives on the moment… Philosophy & time: Bergson, James, Husserl, Adam Literature & narrative: Polkinghorne, Sartre, Ricoeur Education & learning: Pillemer, Giordano, Bedeian Cognition & neuroscience: Banks & Isham, Damasio,
Beeman & Kounios Organisational studies: Czarniawska, Shotter, Weick Entrepreneurship: Cope, Rae, Dew, Krueger, Kollmann
& Kuckertz
These are examples from a wide field of knowledge
Research framework
Moment: ‘a point in time, an instant’; ‘a turning point in a series of events’.
Q1: Is the moment significant in relation to processes of entrepreneurial learning and creativity?
Q2: Can a useful model be developed to understand ‘momentary perspectives’ in entrepreneurial learning?
Entrepreneurial learning Enterprise & entrepreneurship are increasingly prevalent at all educational levels but hard to ‘teach’. Entrepreneurial learning is a natural & social process within both everyday practice and formal education. Centred on creating, discovering, recognising and acting on opportunities. Connects personal emergence (confidence & identity) and capability development (skills & behaviours). Moments of serendipity, ‘discovery’, ‘crisis’ & ‘decision’ fit well with a naturalistic approach to entrepreneurial learning
Enterprise and entrepreneurship education: Guidance for UK higher education providers
Final version issued September 2012
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/enterprise-guidance.pdf
Entrepreneurial effectiveness
Research method
Online survey of entrepreneurs & educators
Questions Recall a ‘special moment’ from your experience This may be anything memorable, such as :
An event, meeting, conversation An idea, seeing an opportunity, a decision A good or bad experience
Can you remember what happened? What makes it special/memorable for you now? How did it affect you at the time? What did you do as a result? Share your ‘special moment’
Quick survey: types of moments reported by entrepreneurs
Special moments
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0%
Problem or incident
Creative inspiration
Opportunityrecognition
Social encounter
Discovery of newknowledge
Common types of entrepreneurial moments
Creativity – inspirational association forming a new idea Innovation – application of idea to a practical situation Opportunity – potential or actual position of advantage Problem – disadvantage, mistake or setback Encounter – social interaction, meeting or social
connection Insight – realisation of new knowledge Intuition– ‘knowing’ at a subconscious or ‘gut’ level Judgement – making a decision or choice Resolution – intention to act
Creative
Idea
Inspiration
Opportunity
Problem
Future possibility
Innovation
Encounter
Social interaction
Meeting
Discovery
New knowledge
Learning
Innovation
Entrepreneurial moments & responses
Emotion
Feelings
Positive: liking, pleasure, trust
Negative: fear, dislike
Cognition
Add to/draw on memory
New knowledge
Learning
Identity
Being: who you are & aspire to be
Narrative: story you tell
Action
Knowing what & how to act
Behaviour
Impact & self-awareness
Judgement!
Incident!
Generatingmeaning
Acting
Perceiving
Consciousattention
Subconsciousawareness
Conscious awareness in the moment
Being in the moment
Past recollections Future anticipations
Narrative timeHow do pastexperiences help makesense of the moment?
What is likely to happen?What future possibilities & opportunities are there?What action can I take?
Experiential memory Prospective imagination
Kairotic time: eventsChronos time: linear
Perceiving
MeaningActing
Being in the moment
Past recollections Future anticipations
Narrative timeHow do pastexperiences help makesense of the moment?
What is likely to happen?What future possibilities & opportunities are there?What action can I take?
Experiential memory Prospective imagination
Kairotic time: eventsChronos time: linear
Perceiving
MeaningActing
Social interactions
BehavioursTalk
Sensory perceptionsVisual, hearing, touchtaste, smell
SubconsciousInstinctiveIntuitiveEmotionFeeling
ConsciousRealisationReflectionIntention Instant
DeferredVerbalPhysical
Moments in teaching & learning Can educators create ‘special moments’? The value of learners reflecting on special moments &
building these into their narratives: Enabling learners to capture, share, learn within & from
special moments And to perceive, judge & act effectively in the moment? Using technology to share moments – twitter, blogs Building understanding of entrepreneurial behaviour
through momentary perspectives
Conclusions
Momentary perspectives can offer new understandings of entrepreneurial learning behaviour, creativity, & transformative action
Connects with philosophical & cognitive science perspectives
‘Moments of truth’ are often turning points in learners’ narrative accounts
Unconscious processes of intuition, instinct & emotion are significant in creativity, decision-making & opportunity recognition behaviours
Educators can elicit & use momentary perspectives in entrepreneurship education
Entrepreneurial Learning
Comments & questions welcome…..
Research paper available at:
http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/7088/
Slides available from: [email protected]
