Doctoral Degrees (Education Policy Studies)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Education Policy Studies) by Author "Avenant, Leonie"

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    Entrepreneurship leadership and creativity
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2000-03) Avenant, Leonie; Van Kradenburg, L. P.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this masters thesis the nature and theory of entrepreneurship, leadership and creativity are discussed. The primary objectives were to identify the entrepreneur. The secondary objectives were to evaluate that when he corporates his leadership skills and creativity if he can be a winner. Entrepreneurs create and manage change. Action-orientation is the essence of entrepreneurship. In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives an in-depth literature study was carried out. It was followed by informal interviews with different entrepreneurs, managers and leaders of big and small businesses. Young entrepreneurs were also interviewed. During this study it was found that leadership and creativity are necessary for entrepreneurship, in order to prosper in an increasingly competitive world. Development of entrepreneurship, leadership and creativity becomes an important strategic objective of schools and other organisations. There is a need for training young people and adults efficiently. This situation poses definite challenges. On the part of educators it requires innovative and unique approaches to develop these abilities. Entrepreneurs are leaders. Being a leader is a prerequisite to entrepreneurship. An entrepreneur must be a leader to attract, retain and get the most out of financiers, suppliers, customers, consultants, professionals and contractors. He must be a leader to get the best out of himself. Some entrepreneurs lead in such a way that their leadership is easy to observe and to understand, while others' ways are less visible or comprehensible; but they are all leaders. One thinks that leaders are born with leadership talent. Some small elements of leadership may come with birth (Shefsky, 1994: 168), but those elements tend to determine the quality of the leadership, not the existence of leadership talent. People can be educated how to be leaders. This can also be taught at school. Entrepreneurial leadership develops by keeping perspective so that dreams can become reality, knowing why one must lead, identifying targets and staying focussed. Like other forms of leadership, entrepreneurial leadership entails a blend of what is ethically correct and what is financially successful. The entrepreneurial leader must be prepared for the stimulation and the responsibility of the position. Creativity in entrepreneurship is challenging and stimulating. Intuition is the enabling factor in creativity. Once the entrepreneurial leader creates, he tears apart his good ideas. He will analyse how long his idea will take to develop, what the risk is and what the market is. He will estimate both sides of success, spectacular and worst case scenarios. His mind will be open for creativity to truth. He will be inquisitive, he will question everything and try to figure out how in the world everything can be done better.