Education, Training and Networking for Entrepreneurship in ...

Thomas Schøtt
University of Southern Denmark
Focusing on learning for entrepreneurship, this study accounts for the changing entrepreneurship in
Denmark. – Is the level of entrepreneurial activity in Denmark increasing, stable or declining, and is the
Danish level higher or lower than in other societies? Are the cultural and institutional framework conditions
in Denmark improving, stable or deteriorating, and are Danish conditions better or worse than in
other societies? How do the framework conditions promote entrepreneurship, and what are the effects
of culture and institutions? How are people in Denmark trained for entrepreneurship, during schooling
and afterwards in various organizational contexts, and is training in Denmark expanding like in other
societies? How are people’s training for entrepreneurship dependent on gender, age and education, and
how does their training promote competency and networking? How are people’s vocation – entrepreneur
or not – shaped by their learning? How are entrepreneurs’ education and training affecting their
competency and networking to access resources such as advice? How are entrepreneurs’ innovativeness,
exports and growth-expectations promoted by their learning. – These questions are addressed by
analyzing data from our surveys in 2008 and preceding years in Denmark and many other countries,
gathered mainly in our research program Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, GEM. The up-to-date surveys
and analyses provide leading indicators of current changes in entrepreneurship.
Thomas Schøtt studied at the University of Aarhus (cand.scient.), Columbia University (M.A. in statistics,
and Ph.D. in sociology) and Yale University (postdoc in organizational research), was Assistant
Professor and Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, and is currently Associate Professor
in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Relationship Management at the University of Southern
Denmark. He teaches entrepreneurship, organizations, methodology and networks among people and
organizations. He consults on entrepreneurship, intervention, organizations, clusters and development
in local regions and in world regions. He researches entrepreneurship, innovation, knowledge, organizations
and networks, and he has published several books and numerous articles in international journals
and local media. As the National Team Leader of the Danish GEM team, he directs the Danish research
program affiliated with the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. He is currently writing a study of entrepreneurship
as a global endeavour with variations among societies. More information can be gleaned from
his homepage www.sam.sdu.dk/ansat/tsc
ISBN 87-91070-32-7