doi: 10.58763/rc202210
Scientific and Technological Research Article
Dimensions of entrepreneurship: educational relationship. The case of the cumbre program
Dimensiones de emprendimiento: Relación educativa. El caso del programa cumbre
Luly
Stephanie Ricardo Jiménez1 
*
ABSTRACT
Keywords: Education, entrepreneur, students, skills, variables.
JEL classification: L26; M13; M53
RESUMEN
La realidad actual invita a generar alternativas que permitan garantizar la calidad de vida de la sociedad y la sostenibilidad económica. Para ello, es importante que, desde la escuela e instituciones de formación, orienten al estudiante hacia el fortalecimiento de sus habilidades de emprendedor y así, de esta manera, incentivar la creación de empresas con un impacto social. Por esta razón, el objeto del presente estudio es identificar las variables y dimensiones que caracterizan al emprendedor en la Corporación Universitaria Nacional, basadas en la realidad contextual de los estudiantes. De esta forma, la metodología de la presente investigación se desarrolla con un enfoque cualitativo que se obtienen a partir de entrevistas semiestructuradas. Las conclusiones están orientadas con os resultados identificados en el análisis de sus variables que determinan el nivel de emprendimiento en los estudiantes con el fin de fortalecer y prepararlos para el mundo empresarial.
Palabras clave: Educación, emprendedor, estudiantes, habilidades, variables.
Clasificación JEL: L26; M13; M53
Received: 27-03-2022 Revised: 15-05-2022 Accepted: 18-07-2022 Published: 27-07-2022
Editor:
Carlos Alberto Gómez Cano 
1Corporación Unificada Nacional de Educación Superior – CUN. Montería, Colombia.
Cite as: Ricardo, L. (2022 Dimensions of entrepreneurship: educational relationship. The case of the cumbre program. Región Científica, 1(1), 202210. https://doi.org/10.58763/rc202210
INTRODUCTION
Our reality constantly invites the creation of alternatives to ensure the standard of living and economic sustainability. For this, it is crucial that students are guided towards strengthening their entrepreneurial skills from school and training institutions, thereby encouraging the creation of companies with social impact. In this way, it is necessary to identify these variables and dimensions that characterize the entrepreneur in students, intending to enhance them from the classroom and direct them in their entrepreneurship.
Therefore, higher education institutions worldwide must promote activities that contribute to the generation of strategies enabling innovation and development in our society and that are oriented towards the entrepreneurship process from building businesses where a joint process between strategic management and its benefits to society is evident, to strengthen the relationships between the university and the business sector (Duran et al., 2016).
There are higher education institutions that, based on their professional and personal training, do not take into account the factors involved in the various contexts of the students. These encompass the formative and cognitive scope as the pillars to guarantee an optimal learning outcome in the individual; consequently, it is necessary to ensure that, in all areas, students are prepared for the various roles they play in their lives. For this, it should start with recognizing their life project to make them aware that they are always striving to achieve the objectives that, as human beings, they set in life.
In this way, knowledge in entrepreneurship should be forged so that they are prepared for the different choices they must make in the current context and so that they always seek opportunities for improvement and progress based on the differentiating factor and the social benefits that affect their growth and development components (Urrego and Quiroga, 2018).
Education forges bonds of equality among individuals and promotes the development of society; that is, it ensures that the acquired knowledge helps to make it more educated in its entirety - both cognitively and humanly. This will open doors for them to capitalize on the ideals set from a social and economic point of view and to contribute to positive results in the development of society (Rodriguez, 2016). As Duran et al (2016) affirm:
The formation of an entrepreneur should begin in the family environment, then at school, and later at the university. Government programs in association with academic programs could forge a new and dynamic generation of entrepreneurs that improve the population's living conditions and social indicators, achieving better welfare for the country. (p.6).
In this sense, Teachers, mentors, and leaders of the training process should generate and implement pedagogical strategies that contribute to developing and improving the most relevant entrepreneurial dimensions that significantly impact the individual. All of this must be supported and underpinned by the guidelines of the institutional pedagogical model, which should transversely encompass this area.
Nevertheless, an entrepreneurial spirit is necessary for the individual, so much learning should be forged in the university setting from a comprehensive education that allows for the generation of ideas and provides solutions to the needs of today's society to acquire theoretical concepts and, in turn, put them into practice in the context where they are implemented (Ortiz et al., 2013).
This entrepreneurial spirit must primarily come from the mentor, who is the one who teaches the student in entrepreneurial training how to learn. Therefore, they must include in their methodology real actions that allow understanding of the current situation of the entrepreneur and, in turn, project toward their growth in the business sector from the foundations acquired in the Summit program.
In this way, education in entrepreneurship should emphasize development and productivity as an alternative to improving the country's economic conditions. This also ensures the quality of life for students through the strengthening of their dimensions and their personal and work applicability (Rico, 2017). According to the Colombian National Ministry of Education (2011):
The culture of entrepreneurship is fostered gradually: at the preschool and elementary school levels, based on basic and citizenship competencies, the national and elementary processes of entrepreneurship are worked on; and in secondary education, the competencies for the promotion of entrepreneurship are consolidated, as an opportunity for students to materialize their entrepreneurial attitudes in the development of activities and projects aimed at the creation of companies or business units with a sustainable development perspective (p.10).
In this sense, the objective of the article is to identify the variables and dimensions that characterize the entrepreneur at the Corporación Universitaria Nacional and that are based on the contextual reality of the students, as well as on the projection of the entrepreneur in his environment. Finally, the respective analysis is carried out based on the methodology applied to analyze the results obtained and highlight the results obtained with their respective conclusions.
Education
Through education, the subject is taught to learn about certain concepts and situations that contribute to his integral and professional formation. The learner is conceived as the subject who needs help to be formed and who, through the intervention of the educator, achieves the culmination of his formation process; in the same way, through education, the being is perfected, a better society is built and contributes to its quality (Garduño, 1999). According to Garduño (1999):
The quality of education is historically and culturally specified and is constructed in each space. That is, the elements that are defined as important at a certain time and in a certain context are not necessarily the same for another time or place. Therefore, the most we can aspire to is to propose a broad approach that allows, at the relevant times and places, to identify the elements of quality that are considered important (p.6).
According to Marzano and Gutiérrez (1992), there are five types of reasoning which they call dimensions of learning: the first consists of positive attitudes and perceptions about learning, where the level of learning is exposed through interaction with the environment; the second consists of learning that involves the acquisition and integration of knowledge through the creation of analogies and images; the third dimension includes learning that involves the extension and deepening of knowledge, where the student carries out activities such as comparison, classification, induction, deduction, error analysis, construction of arguments, and abstraction; the fourth is based on learning that involves meaningful use of knowledge, for which the student must develop activities that implement the use of knowledge such as decision-making, research, problem-solving, and invention; finally, the fifth dimension is related to mental habits, where the subject develops structured mental processes in order to acquire knowledge, developing critical, creative, and self-regulatory thinking.
These dimensions also invite us to analyze the different learning styles of students and types of intelligence, as undoubtedly, this becomes an important input for the construction of any pedagogical strategy that is desired to be implemented and to guarantee, in this way, its correct focus and direction.
Entrepreneurship
In Law 1014 of 2006, the MEN defines entrepreneurship as a way of thinking and acting oriented towards wealth, focused on opportunities through a global vision, balanced leadership, and the management of calculated risk, which benefits the company, the economy, and society (Congress of the Republic of Colombia, 2006).
According to Rodríguez (2009), "the origin of the word entrepreneurship comes from the French term entrepreneur, which means being ready to make decisions to start something" (p. 3). Likewise, Verin (1982), cited by Rodríguez (2009), mentions that from the 17th and 18th centuries, there was a perception of the entrepreneur, architect, and master builder, so characteristics that made up these people who exercised an economic activity and had to guarantee the correct functioning of their roles began to be identified.
Likewise, Allan Gibb's Theory, cited by Gómez (2012), regarding entrepreneurial education, covers the values of SMEs, which should be included within the practices of the community, the value of knowledge, to commit to stakeholders, generate relationships with entrepreneurs, have identified processes in the organization, and manage an approach related to business design. In this way, entrepreneurs learn and grow based on acquired knowledge, and their proposals are relevant and aligned with current reality.
Entrepreneurship should be taught by families and go through different educational levels to strengthen the knowledge, skills, abilities, and dexterities acquired for their application.
Students
The Royal Spanish Academy (2005) defines the term "student" as someone studying at an educational establishment. Similarly, various authors refer to this as the individual undertaking middle or higher-level studies at an academic institution. In this order, other sources characterize it as synonymous with pupil, and it applies to individuals who are carrying out a study, regardless of their level.
The student must acquire the necessary competencies to face the world of work. The pedagogical strategies must include elements that facilitate the understanding of current reality and allow them to assume both the challenges they may face and establish possible solutions. For this, the pedagogical model must go hand in hand with teacher training, as these are the ones who will teach students to learn through the tools used. It is important to highlight the use of information technologies, as we are in a virtual reality where information systems and the management of different technological tools are necessary for 21st-century entrepreneurs. In this respect, Achote and Toaquiza (2014) affirm:
In the face of this reality today, it is not a matter of the student acquiring specific knowledge to prepare them for work but of acquiring skills to learn throughout their lives; the requirements to access a considerable number of jobs include the ability to work in a team, presentation skills, critical thinking, and knowledge of a wide variety of technology and computer programs. (p.11)
In accordance, educational administration must study the current landscape in all its aspects to identify those scenarios that need to be included in the pedagogical strategies used for curriculum development and, in this way, ensure that work is being done in mirror form to the employment reality they are going to face. In this case, the students of the summit program already have their entrepreneurship, and these strategies are aimed at an analysis of the current situation of their project, the needs, opportunities, and projection for their growth, sustainability, and profitability in the market.
Skills
Skills are necessary for the entrepreneur's good performance in their various roles, as it is through these that they will navigate different situations that arise throughout their trajectory in the company. Therefore, it is required that these are strengthened in higher education institutions and framed within a contextual reality that facilitates their understanding based on the different dimensions that they face and need. According to Achote and Toaquiza (2014):
Currently, the labor market increasingly needs workers who perform a certain activity efficiently and effectively, being autonomous and flexible to adopt technological changes, we can say that it is necessary to include this type of technology in education at all levels (primary, secondary and higher) that allows the development of different skills where they can easily adapt to these technological changes (p.22).
From the above, it is worth mentioning the evident process, from the construction of their identity to higher education, that is, previous educational levels, which begin in primary and secondary education with the strengthening of generic and basic competencies that are worked on and include cross-cutting activities in the subjects for the development of entrepreneurial skills.
METHODOLOGY
The methodology of this research is developed with a mixed and descriptive design approach, achieved through surveys and semi-structured interviews to understand and identify the entrepreneurship variables and dimensions in students of the Corporación Unificada Nacional.
It should be noted that the mixed approach consists of a quantitative and a qualitative approach: the first takes into account characteristics such as the measurement of phenomena, the use of statistics, and hypothesis development; the second is characterized by finding the depth of meanings of things, as well as their breadth, interpretation according to established information, and the contextualization of the phenomenon (Sampieri et al., 2014).
This research was developed in three phases: The first phase consists of a review of the state of the art and analysis of the problem through a bibliographic tracking that explores the antecedents of the research to disclose documentation and identify what aspects can be deepened and used for the development of the present investigation. The second phase is oriented towards the review of the state of the art. An analysis was carried out to determine the information that will be addressed in the diagnosis and that allows the collection of clear, precise, reliable, objective, and useful information in the companies under study. The third phase is based on conducting a focus group in collaboration with the teacher mentors associated with the Cunbre program.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In the sampling, five teachers -mentors from the Cumbre program- participated, who, according to their expertise, contributed to the construction of the entrepreneurial dimensions that the Cunista student must possess. For this, a focus group was carried out with the teachers that yielded the following results:
Technical abilities
· Self-efficacy: personal beliefs about one's ability to achieve the expected results by strategically articulating competencies.
· Locus of control: a person's beliefs where they attribute the results of their actions to internal or external factors.
· Optimism: the individual's tendency to generate expectations in obtaining positive results.
· Persistence: an individual's constant ability to achieve their goals.
Personal abilities
· Risk-taking capacity: personal tendency and disposition to assume levels of risk that allow achieving a goal in uncertain situations, accepting the consequences consciously.
· Autonomy: an individual's capacity who is aware of the incidence of external factors (socioeconomic, cultural, political, historical) on himself and decides how to think and act by adopting a stance of his own.
· Creativity: the ability to generate different and unexplored ideas for those who conceive them.
· Opportunity identification: the individual's ability to recognize what is happening around him and identify opportunities based on the needs of people and the market to execute projects.
· Flexibility: an individual's ability to adapt and not show strong resistance to changing circumstances and environments.
· Stress management: the individual's ability to regulate and self-manage in high-pressure and worry situations.
· Resilience: the individual's ability to learn, recover, and take advantage of an adverse situation.
· Tolerance to frustration: the ability to withstand and assimilate failures in adverse situations.
Achievement orientation
· An individual's disposition to face and overcome challenges by directing all his efforts to achieve his goals.
· Intent to Undertake: an individual's disposition to devise, plan, and execute lasting entrepreneurship.
· Planning: an individual's ability to organize activities, set times, and define resources to meet certain objectives.
Planning competencies
· Evaluation: a set of systematic actions that allow the individual to monitor and analyze the development of the implementation of the plans drawn up through measurement strategies and use the results in decision-making processes.
· Efficiency: the ability to manage activities to obtain concrete results, optimizing and using the minimum necessary resources and available time.
· Efficacy: the ability to manage activities aimed at obtaining the highest quality results, using sufficient resources for it.
· Network of relationships: an individual's ability to establish strategic relationships with relevant actors and members of the entrepreneurship ecosystem to develop and potentiate their project.
Social competencies
· Teamwork: an individual's ability to support and cooperate with other individuals to obtain mutual benefit and generate solutions.
· Negotiation: an individual's ability to establish communication to act concertedly, protecting their interests, and be able to reach agreements with the other party, including the identification of the needs of others and persuasion.
CONCLUSIONS
The main dimensions to strengthen entrepreneurship in students under the mentors' perception are: technical; achievement orientation, personal; strategic planning, and social skills. This was determined based on their experience as mentors of the Cumbre program and the results observed through the methodology imparted to the entrepreneurs (Cunista students who belong to the Cumbre program).
Similarly, the importance of generating different strategies in which the role of the mentor is representative of the entrepreneur is highlighted. Therefore, it is important to relate the activities developed in the Cumbre program with the necessary dimensions, applying practical pedagogical strategies that facilitate and guarantee a greater learning process.
As observed in the literature, it is necessary to include work scenarios within the teaching exercise to prepare the subjects in training for the context they will face. For the Cumbre program, it is imperative to propose real scenarios from the productive sector in which students interact with the environment, strengthen entrepreneurial dimensions, and allow the application of newly acquired organizational knowledge.
The abilities identified as necessary in students should be taken as a reference for developing pedagogical strategies that will be worked with them to strengthen them in their exercise. Finally, the importance of fostering entrepreneurial dimensions in Cunista students is highlighted to prepare them for the work and personal world, promoting personal and business development in each of them.
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FINANCING
No external financing.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
The author declares that she has no conflict of interest.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to the Corporación Unificada Nacional de Educación Superior - CUN for the support received.
AUTHORSHIP CONTRIBUTION
Conceptualization: Luly Stephanie Ricardo Jiménez.
Research: Luly Stephanie Ricardo Jiménez.
Methodology: Luly Stephanie Ricardo Jiménez.
Writing - original draft: Luly Stephanie Ricardo Jiménez.
Writing - revision and editing: Luly Stephanie Ricardo Jiménez.