Vocational Education and Retail Entrepreneurship in Srinagar

AMBREENA RAFIQ

Vocational Trainer Retail, Govt BHSS, Jawahar Nagar Srinagar

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Abstract:A variety courses which teach important and valuable skills are a part of Vocational Education recently introduced in Srinagar District. Vocational education encompasses different content, different skills, different forms of teaching compared to conventional academic study. Good vocational courses are, therefore, respected, valuable and an important part of our as well as any other country’s educational provision. Retail entrepreneurship on the other hand is an important tool for education and lifelong learning policies. Retail entrepreneurship is an important engine for growth in the economy. This article reports a three-layered concept of Retail entrepreneurship competencies. The way in which innovations in Vocational education develop competencies for Retail entrepreneurship, enterprising behavior and employability is analyzed. The different opinions of students in Retail entrepreneurship-oriented education are presented. The article ends with recommendations on promoting Retail entrepreneurship competencies in vocational education.

Indexterms:Retail entrepreneurship, Vocational education, Competencies, Retail outlets, Skills.

INTRODUCTION

Retail Entrepreneurship is a source of flexibility and innovation, as a creator of jobs for theeconomy and, at the same time, as an interesting possibility for individualdevelopment, fulfilment and citizenship. This article focuses on the development of Retail entrepreneurshipcompetencies in vocational education. Three main topics arediscussed and a three-layeredconcept of entrepreneurship competencies is then presented. At the end some conclusions are presented concerningimprovement in the development of Retail entrepreneurship and competencies by educational innovation. Retail Entrepreneurship is a ‘hot topic’ in economic market policies but lack of enterprising spirit can be seen as the background for the relatively small number of people startingtheir own business as well as for thelack of mobility and flexibility in the Kashmir market. However education could and should promote Retail entrepreneurship more. Chances to start and run a successful retail outlet depend significantly on self-assessment of available or developable competencies by the budding entrepreneur, which is not always accurate. Budding Retail entrepreneursoften indicate that they are insufficiently prepared, although the mainproblem faced in starting a retail outlet is not a lack of skills but a lackof money, caused by hesitating and not very entrepreneurship-friendly investors or banks. Whatever the reason, a challenge is posed forinitial education as well as lifelong learning. Entrepreneurship competenciesshould be integrated in general and vocational education as a stimulus to see entrepreneurship as a natural career possibility.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Broadly categorizing the competencies of a Retail Entrepreneur three main themes can be distinguished:

• Retailentrepreneur key skills

• Retail entrepreneur as manager

• Retail entrepreneur as entrepreneur

Retail Entrepreneur Key Skills

Entrepreneurship is often seen as a way of life (Gibb, 1998). A lot of literature onentrepreneurship focuses on the person, characteristics and qualities of anentrepreneur. It is possible to identify a set of skills that can be characterised as ‘entrepreneurship skills’ and are distinct from – although closely related to – accepted definitions of management and leadership skills. Development of an ‘enterprising spirit’ is often seen asimportant and as the main criterion for deciding who choosesentrepreneurship and becomes successful in that field (Tolentino, 1998).Although Mintzberg (1990) notes that literature on the characteristics andqualities of entrepreneurs is hardly based on empirical evidence, there is stillan abundance of studies. Van der Kuip (1998) summarises a number of them,listing entrepreneurial qualities like motivation, need for autonomy andindependence, creativity and originality, taking initiative, risk taking, lookingfor possibilities, posing challenging objectives, self-confidence, internal locus ofcontrol and endurance. Analogous to the key skills debate in vocationaleducation and lifelong learning (Kämäräinen, 2002), these qualities could becalled enterprising key skills. Key skills are applicable in a broad range ofentrepreneurial activities but must be concretised. This is recognisable in many arguments as to why Retail entrepreneurship ineducation is important: even if it does not turn students into entrepreneurs, itwill prepare them better for employability. This kind ofanalysis often links entrepreneurship and employability closely. The samediscussion applies here as in the key skills debate in vocational education(Advisory Committee on Labour and Vocational Education, 1999;Kämäräinen, 2002). These key skills get much attention in projects to promoteactive and self-directed learning in educational innovation, ranging in secondary education to neweducational concepts in vocational education (Onstenk, 2000b, 2001).

Retail Entrepreneur as Manager

A second main concern is the management roles of the Retail entrepreneur:planning, organisation, financial management, leadership and control. In management training, explicit emphasis onentrepreneurship is a rather recent phenomenon (Kao, 1989; Klandt, 1998),even in small business management (National Council for Small Business andRetail Management Training [LOSBenRM], 1999).Tolentino (1998) offers a broader analysis of skills needed for managingthe business, making a link to more proper entrepreneurial competencies.Alongside traditional functions, such as planning, organising, leading andcontrolling, a modern retail outletposes new management challenges. Combined with the growing knowledge intensity of production and ofmanaging the business environment, managerial functions extend to the rolesof enabler, facilitator and coordinator, communicator and negotiator, changemanager and internal consultant. To be able to operate successfully in newbusiness structures and relation networks, the entrepreneur-manager ofmodern businesses needs also to develop new competencies (Tolentino, 1998).These competencies are stillinsufficiently covered in the educational objectives of management courses and can be easily attained through Vocational education.

Retail Entrepreneur as Entrepreneur

The last, and most interesting, theme focuses more explicitly on the role of theentrepreneur as entrepreneur. ‘Proper’ entrepreneurial competencies are required not only to successfully start a retail outlet but to make it flourish as well.Problem areas and competencies can be distinguished,ranging from recognising business opportunities, interpretation of marketinformation and the development of customer orientation to the developmentand effective operation of relation networks and the building of an innovativebusiness venture (Tolentino, 1998; Gibb, 1998).A competent entrepreneur must be able to useknowledge, attitudes and skills in such a way as to be able to deal effectivelywith tasks, problems, dilemmas and contradictions resulting, for example, from heavy competition or the changing demands of customers. Firstly, Retail entrepreneurs must redefine ‘risk’ as an opportunity touse their expertise, rather than as a possible reason for failure. Second, competency is the ability to communicate, identify mentally,persuade and discuss with customers, clients, suppliers, competitors, serviceproviders and other stakeholders in the business environment, thus bettercomprehending their needs, expectations, apprehensions and requirements (International Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education ICEE,Gibb and Tolentino,1998). Thirdly, Entrepreneurs have their own community of practice(Gielen et al, 2003). A fourth competency, stressed by Gibb (1998), integrates enterprising keyskills with the fundamental ability to deal with the life world ofentrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs must be able to live with daily insecurity andeven enjoy that situation. At the level of the organisation, entrepreneurs have todeal more often with more responsibilities and insecurities. According to Tolentino (1998), delegating responsibilities to a team ofemployees or even external consultants enables the entrepreneur to focus onhis own core competencies but it also opens up ways to improve efficiency andgeneration of creative ideas in management. A ‘smart’ entrepreneur organizes a varied, compensating and synergetic competence base.

Entrepreneurship in Vocational Education

In vocational education, curricular attention to entrepreneurship is not new.Traditionally, this focuses on managerial knowledge and, to a lesser degree,skills (Mulder, 1997; Onstenk, 2000a).One important objective of new contents and didactics invocational education is the development of core competences (Kämäräinen,2002; Onstenk, 2000b, 2001). Innovation and enrichment of entrepreneurshipeducation is a good example.In a growing number of highervocational studies, ranging from retail entrepreneurial to technological, services orarts education a variety of courses are included in the curriculum. Government identified 132 schools to provide Vocational education in various fields in 2017.Initiatives to connect knowledge production and entrepreneurship areblossoming, as shown by the recent addition of new schools in 2018.The whole curriculum is designed in a very innovative didactic and pedagogical system which oriented around retail entrepreneurial competence development. The design of the learning processfocused on problem solving entrepreneurial learning. Learning is organised inassignments, focusing on specific problems. Students discuss the problem,make working plans, search for relevant information and marketing theory inthe study centre, and find explanations and solutions in agroup discussion. Around this core, other learning activities are organised with a great degree ofchoice and freedom for the student. Students design their own personaldevelopment plan, guided by the list of competencies to be acquired. A portfolio system of competence proofs is developed. The portfolio also offers the guiding thread for personal. Student centres are visited by reputed Guest Faculties to give them broader vision of retail entrepreneurship. Students are also taken on field/Industrial visit to give them a hands-on experience.

DATA COLLECTION AND RESULTS

Data was collected through a survey of students ofRetail students in vocational education (n=200). Respondents answered a questionnaire on skills andcompetencies, based on the categories distinguished in the literature search.The results gave a rich overview of perceptions of students of Retail entrepreneurship. By using variance and factor analysis, relationships wereexplored between different school types, entrepreneurial orientation of thecourse, learning experiences and views on entrepreneurship competence. A limitation of the empirical data results from the fact thatrespondents were selected via schools and teachers who are at least favourableto promoting retail entrepreneurship in education. So a positive attitude and a biasto entrepreneurship-oriented activities is to be expected. Nevertheless, answersshow enough variation and critical evaluation of courses as well as ofretail entrepreneurial perspectives.Following are the evaluations:

  • Many respondents like Retail entrepreneurship because they see it as veryvaried and challenging. It is also attractive because independence isencouraged and it is possible to see clear results of endeavour.
  • Retail entrepreneurship is also seen as difficult, mainly because of the risksinvolved. Many respondents make the observation that Retail entrepreneurship asksa lot and that there are many things to deal with. Competition is heavy,finding a market share is difficult and so is getting enough finance.
  • Respondents who, according totheir own estimation, have learned that they are good at Retail entrepreneurship,have discovered that they are creative, and have great confidence in their ownideas.
  • A relatively large number of students actually expect to start anenterprise of their own. This expectation is strongly related to self-confidence.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The research is done in the Srinagar and focuses on the current situation of Retail entrepreneurship.Although, at all educational levels, initiatives and good practices are found, adifferentiated and integrative approach in vocational education is still to be developed. The emergence of vocational education connects to new developments in career and vocationalguidance in secondary education. Retail Entrepreneurship should bemore promoted as a real and attractive alternative to active employeeship.Second, it is important to take into account the different types ofentrepreneurial skills distinguished in the research report. Entrepreneurial competencies are in manycases under-represented. One important conclusion is that all three dimensionsare needed for successful Retail entrepreneurship but that more emphasis should beplaced on integrating entrepreneurial competencies. In learning trajectories a clearemphasis must be placed on promoting the actual and active introduction of Vocational education. Entrepreneurship should also bepromoted in training for vocational teachers, as well as in running projects toattract people into teaching from vocational and professional practice. Retail Entrepreneurship is an important objective of lifelong learning. This demands focused, tailor-made and just-intimetraining and knowledge sharing. Bringing together businessschool students and starting entrepreneurs provides a learning experience onboth sides (Johannisson et al, 1998).Specific attention should be paid to beginners with a low educationallevel. Retail Entrepreneurship is an option for low achievers at school, and groupscan be motivating. There appears, therefore,to be a need for preparation for Retail entrepreneurship at lower levels of vocationaleducation.

References

  1. Gibb A. (1998) Entrepreneurial Core Capacities, Competitiveness and ManagementDevelopment in the 21st Century. Durham: DUBS.
  2. Gielen, P., Hoeve, A & Nieuwenhuis, L.F.M. (2003) Learning Entrepreneurs, EuropeanEducational Research Journal, 2(2).
  3. International Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education (ICEE) (1998)Entrepreneurship Everywhere [on-line]. Available at: B., Halvarsson, D. & Lövstäl, F. (1997)
  4. Kämäräinen, P. (Ed) (2002) Key Qualifications in European Vocational Education.Thessaloniki: CEDEFOP – European Centre for the Development of VocationalTraining.
  5. Kao, J. (1989) Entrepreneurship, Creativity & Organisation. Englewood Cliffs: PrenticeHall.
  6. Kuip, I. van der (1998) Early Development of Entrepreneurial Qualities. [PromotingEntrepreneurship In Education] Zoetermeer: EIM.