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Challenges in the Era of Globalization - iaabd

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Proceed<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 12th Annual Conference © 2011 IAABD<br />

Discussion and Conclusion<br />

The major f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g from <strong>the</strong> student survey is that <strong>the</strong> respondents had a more positive evaluation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong>fluence <strong>the</strong>ir entrepreneurship education had had on <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir enterpris<strong>in</strong>g competencies<br />

and skills. A conclusion is that while <strong>the</strong> need for achievement can be culturally acquired and constitute<br />

an important psychological characteristics <strong>of</strong> entrepreneurs (McClelland, 1965), it appears that<br />

entrepreneurship education aids <strong>in</strong> acquisition as evidence from <strong>the</strong> current study suggests. This requires<br />

fur<strong>the</strong>r research. Essentially, this paper argued that both <strong>the</strong> tertiary education as a whole and<br />

entrepreneurship education <strong>in</strong> particular <strong>of</strong>fered at KNUST aid <strong>in</strong> encourag<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> key<br />

enterpris<strong>in</strong>g competencies and skills such as need for achievement, creativity, deal<strong>in</strong>g with ambiguities,<br />

<strong>in</strong>dependence and self-confidence. It is also apparent that entrepreneurship motivates and encourages<br />

respondents to <strong>in</strong>clude self-employment as a career option as <strong>the</strong> respondents’ self-employment career<br />

<strong>in</strong>tention jumped from 6.5% at <strong>the</strong> pre-exposure to 25.8% post-exposure. It is recommended that a more<br />

comprehensive review <strong>of</strong> all academic programmes <strong>of</strong>fered at KNUST be undertaken <strong>in</strong> order to have a<br />

more holistic view <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> relevance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tertiary education <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> key enterpris<strong>in</strong>g skills<br />

and competencies. This way more comprehensive evidence could be provided to substantiate or<br />

o<strong>the</strong>rwise, whe<strong>the</strong>r or not current tertiary education engenders <strong>the</strong> key competencies and skills required <strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> world <strong>of</strong> work today to accelerate <strong>the</strong> socio-economic development <strong>of</strong> Ghana. F<strong>in</strong>ally, it will lend<br />

credence to <strong>the</strong> vision and mission <strong>of</strong> KNUST as a centre <strong>of</strong> excellence produc<strong>in</strong>g high calibre <strong>of</strong><br />

graduates with knowledge and expertise to support <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>dustrial and socio-economic development <strong>of</strong><br />

Ghana and Africa (KNUST, 2010).<br />

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Brown, C. (1999). Teach<strong>in</strong>g New Dogs New Tricks: The Rise <strong>of</strong> Entrepreneurship Education <strong>in</strong> Graduate<br />

School <strong>of</strong> Bus<strong>in</strong>ess, Digest no. 99-2 (www.celcee.edu)<br />

Brown, R. (1990). Encourag<strong>in</strong>g Enterprise; Brita<strong>in</strong>’s Graduate Enterprise Program, Journal <strong>of</strong> Small<br />

Bus<strong>in</strong>ess Management, 28 (4).<br />

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Research Series, Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership<br />

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Start-ups <strong>in</strong> Ireland: An Overview, Oak Tree Press, Dubl<strong>in</strong>, Vol. 1.<br />

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