CREATIVE DESTRUCTION, NEW VALUES, NEW WAYS OF DOING THINGS AND NEW COMBINATIONS OF KNOWLEDGE In pursuit of a new 'Enterprise' and 'Entrepreneurship' Paradigm

The paper argues for a new approach to the study of entrepreneurship and a new paradigm as a basis for entrepreneurship education. It also argues that such a new approach is unlikely to come from university business schools. It needs an organisational revolution which, however, can be managed within a university as a whole. The paper is broadly divided into two parts. The first part explores the political imperative in Europe for development of the ‘enterprise culture’ a result of pressures for greater international competitiveness. The educational response is then examined and, with the help of a number of recent surveys, some of the key issues pertaining to the development of entrepreneurship education in higher education institutions in the UK and Europe are reviewed. The second part attempts to address the imperative at a more conceptual level. It argues that entrepreneurial behaviour is a function of the degree of uncertainty and complexity in the task and broader environment and/or the desire of an individual, in pursuit of an opportunity, to create it. The key trigger of globalisation is then explored the way in which its impact on the role of the state, the organisation of business activity and public services and on individuals has createdh greater uncertainty and complexity. This leads to the view that entrepreneurial behaviour is not the prerogative of business : there are a wide range of stakeholders needing to pursue such behaviour, including priests, doctors, teachers, policemen, pensioners and community workers and indeed potentially everybody in the community. It follows that the traditional focus of entrepreneurship education on business and new venture management, in particular, provides an inadequate basis for response. Moreover the pervasive ideology of the heroic entrepreneur is dysfunctional when viewed against the needs of a wider community. The notion of ‘enterprise’ is therefore introduced as a means of moving away from the hitherto narrow paradigm. How this relates to the development of the individual and the design of enterprising organisations is reviewed. The paper finally explores the broader institutional context by reference to a number of issues central to the globalisation debate including: culture, market liberalisation, forms of governance and democracy. It links these with the ontological and epistemological challenge to education. It concludes with discussion of how this relates to the traditional concept of a university and argues that universities as a whole are in a much better position to respond to the need for change than business schools.