On motivation and enterprise education – ensuring manageable goals and objectives

Key words

motivation entrepreneurial student enterprise enterprise education curriculum development utility maximization intrinsic motivation extrinsic motivation risk taking managerial ability business ideas enterprise education outcomes

Abstract

There is growing recognition that the standard approach to motivation, referred to as Motivation 2.0 is not necessary adequate for assessing the contemporary drivers for students and budding entrepreneurs. Some have argued that the concept of goal setting may act as much as an inhibitor as a motivator. This perspective on goal setting can, prima facie, be very relevant to the entrepreneurial educator. In this research exercise the contemporary thinking on motivation and motivational approached will be explored and applied to the development of entrepreneurial education curriculum development and pedagogic structures. Those entrusted with the nurturing and development of any innate entrepreneurial potential must ensure that the teaching and learning environment is dynamic and as individualized as possible. Key to any individualized delivery mechanism is a coherent understanding of motivational factors and activities. Effective curriculum development for entrepreneurial training demands an integrated understanding of motivators which must be driven extracurricular, while enterprise education continues to become embedded in educational delivery structures. This paper addresses these demands and acts as a primer for how this could be achieved.