Innovating entrepreneurial pedagogy: examples from France and Germany

Purpose – This paper – one of only a few examples – aims to conduct a cross-national research into innovative teaching approaches in entrepreneurship in France and Germany. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on two cross-cultural cases and reflects on the experiences of two innovative teaching approaches in two European settings. The underlying aim of this investigation is to identify commonalities and differences between the approaches, establish learning between the different Higher Education institutions as well as to investigate the transferability of such approaches to other cultural environments. Findings – This research has highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary learning in entrepreneurship research. Whereas, in the German case, management and other disciplines work together to create the example of the “practice firm”, in the French case entrepreneurship theories, network theories and cognitive science are brought together to create a new approach to learning about entrepreneurship. Both approaches highlight the importance of the personal development of the course participants by empowering the student to be proactive. Research limitations/implications – The paper builds on the early experiences with both the concept of the “practice firm” and the application of repertory grids in entrepreneurial pedagogy, which justifies the highly exploratory character of this research. More research is necessary to establish students' opinion about such innovative approaches, also on a cross-national level. Practical implications – The paper provides examples of effective practices for encouraging entrepreneurial thinking in the classroom. More such comparative work is necessary on a European, but also on a wider international, scale to encourage learning, in particular for those involved in teaching entrepreneurship, but also for policy makers who are looking for new ways to stimulate entrepreneurial thinking. Originality/value – The paper is innovative as it compares and contrasts two innovative approaches to teaching entrepreneurship in two European countries and hence fills a gap in the literature.