Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Contact details:
Stanislav Ivanov, Ph. D., Academic director, International University College, 3 Bulgaria str.,
9300 Dobrich, Bulgaria; email: stanislav.ivanov@vumk.eu
Miroslava Dimitrova, Ph. D., Assistant Professor in tourism and hospitality, International
University College, 3 Bulgaria str., 9300 Dobrich, Bulgaria; email:
miroslava.dimitrova@vumk.eu
Maya Ivanova, Ph. D. student, University of Economics – Varna, 77 Kniaz Boris I Blvd.,
9000 Varna, Bulgaria; e-mail: maya.g.ivanova@gmail.com
Abstract:
Introduction
Current turbulent economic times require companies to find alternative approaches for
sustainable competitive advantage to price cutting and severe price competition – they focus
more on entrepreneurship and innovations in order to survive.
IUC’s experience
For two academic years (2006/07 and 2007/08) International University College
experimented by introducing “Business plan” as a first module for first year students. They
were required to prepare a business plan for a new start-up company having been provided
only the basic knowledge needed to implement the task. The goal was that students
understand the principles of business planning and entrepreneurship by themselves, identify
their own weaknesses and gaps in knowledge and skill, and, eventually, be more motivated to
study the other modules. The experiment was considered only partially successful by the IUC
management team due to several reasons:
- Cultural factors – students were used in high schools to absorbing knowledge and be
examined on how well they have understood it – an innovative approach in which they were
asked to prepare be examined on a project without being given the full knowledge for that
was not fully embraced by them;
- Organisational factors – the learning outcomes and the goal of the module were
probably not communicated well to the students. Additionally, the introduction of business
planning as a first module at Year one required that students prepare the same business plan in
Year two, compare the two plans and see their own progress. This requirement was not
implemented and the first business plan stood alone without a follow-up.
Currently IUC adopts the alternative viewpoint that the entrepreneurship is an
integrative module and it is a follow-up not a prerequisite to the related modules
(management, marketing, finance, planning, human resources, accounting, business law). As a
consequence of this pedagogic viewpoint students first study the general modules/subject and
finish the second year of study by preparing an entrepreneurship plan that summarises the
knowledge and skills gained during the first and second year.
Student’s perspective
In the beginning of the academic year 2010/2011 a survey with second and third grade
students in Tourism Management and Hotel management programmes at UIC was conducted.
Its primary goal is to study the attitude of the students towards Entrepreneurship module,
which is included in their teaching plan. For this purpose two major group of students were
questioned: students who didn’t participate in Entrepreneurship classes yet (mainly second
year students) and those who have already studied Entrepreneurship as a separate module
(mostly third year students). Two different questionnaires were elaborated. The one given to
the first group was aiming at discovering whether the students were familiar with this subject,
what their expectations are, if they consider it important and valuable for their future career.
The second questionnaire attempted to reveal the overall impressions of those who have
already participated in Entrepreneurship classes, the outcomes according to their opinion and
their general satisfaction about the course (i.e. whether the outcomes correspond to their
expectations).
The representative sampling consisted of 64 students. The results of the survey showed
that students realize the importance of Entrepreneurship module. 82% of them sustain that it
should be included in the Hospitality and Tourism Management programmes. During this
course students expect to learn how to start a new business (80%), how to write business plan
(48%), as well as to study some basic economic concepts (35%). Majority of students (55%)
prefer to study Entrepreneurship as a separate module without being incorporated in other
courses, while 9% believe that it should not be studied at all. Student’s preferences about ratio
between theory and practical implications in the module are splitted between “a combination
of both” (52%) and “practice only” (44%). Unfortunately most of the students who have
already participated in this course are not satisfied with the outcomes (56%) and claim that the
course was insufficient to provide them with necessary knowledge and skills (71%).
The servey shows that students are aware of the utility of entrepreneurial skills for their
future careers. They are definitely searching for programme which provides them not only
with theoretical background, but is mainly involved with the real life practice.
Conclusion
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