Introduction

Citation

Matlay, H. (2016), "Introduction", Education + Training, Vol. 58 No. 7/8. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-06-2016-0108

Introduction

Article Type: Introduction From: Education + Training, Volume 58, Issue 7/8.

Critical perspectives on enterprise and entrepreneurship education

This year’s double special issue is the 17th consecutive annual publication, the latest in a long and successful series of specialist articles to be published in Education+Training. The first double special issue appeared in 2000, an innovative and widely acclaimed publication, much praised by vocational education and training (VET) researchers, practitioners and policy makers across the industrially developed and developing nations, as well as in countries in economic transition.

Each year I receive a large number of e-mails and telephone calls from a diverse range of interested parties: academics, researchers, practitioners, educators and policy makers. Most of these communications focus on articles published in previous special issues, but a growing number of new contacts seek to contribute, with ideas and suggestions, to new directions and the future development of the series. Interestingly, many of the e-mails I receive originate from undergraduate and postgraduate students, who set out to study various educational subjects in diverse international contexts. The reputation of this annual feature in Education+Training is well-established and its international appeal and impact is amply evidenced by the interest shown amongst a wide and well-informed community of practice. It is based not only upon continuity and longevity, but also on its innovative and cutting edge approach to the dissemination of an impressive range of high quality, theoretical, practical and cross-disciplinary articles in the emergent field of entrepreneurship education and training research. Citation rates are high and, judging by the large number of enquiries and requests that I receive, it is likely to continue to grow. An international success such as that gained over the years by Education+Training is not easy to achieve and even more difficult to maintain in a highly competitive environment such as academic publishing. As its long-term Guest Editor, I am pleased to hear how highly respected this journal is, and how much its readership is looking forward to perusing articles published in various general and special issues that appear in it.

I am always happy to respond to the many queries and requests that come from undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students: although a quarter of a century has passed since I was a student, I still recall the excitement with which I awaited the next issue of Education+Training to appear on the University of Warwick library shelves. I owe the success of both my MEd dissertation and PhD thesis to the many authors who published seminal articles in this journal. It provided me with a rich source of up-to-date knowledge, research directions and specialist references. In addition, the journal facilitated the publication of my own research and rewarded my efforts with a first and much treasured Best Paper Award. My involvement with Education+Training gave me an insight into, and a taste of, the complex world of publishing. In turn, I first became Guest Editor of this annual double special issue and, a couple of years later, I had the necessary knowledge and confidence to act as the Editor of the Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, both part of the Emerald Publishing Group portfolio of specialist journals. Initially, the double special issue focused on pioneering aspects related to VET in small- and medium-sized enterprises. The early features have contributed considerably to redressing the empirical imbalance that existed, at that time, between the budding research on training in smaller businesses and a considerable and well-established knowledge base on training and human resource development in large organisations and multinational corporations. Beginning with 2008, we increasingly focused on another emerging topic, the theory and practice of enterprise and entrepreneurship education (E&EE).

Reflecting upon the post-2008 series of double special issues, I can confidently state that, individually and cumulatively, these have contributed significantly to the development of a new and exciting topic of academic endeavour. Over the ensuing years, I have noticed, at both national and international level, a growing obsession with E&EE in general and attributable entrepreneurial outcomes in particular. Most of the related articles featured in the populist media exposed strongly held beliefs, opinions or perspectives. Such "evidence" as was occasionally presented in order to substantiate the "official position" on E&EE contained mostly anecdotal assertions and "circular arguments" in favour of more and better entrepreneurs entering the economy, as well as practical ways on how this "mission" could be achieved. In contrast, the rich and varied approaches evidenced in these special issues offered well-informed and empirically rigorous perspectives on a rapidly growing and fast developing topic of research. Interestingly, the development of special issues that focused exclusively upon research in theoretical and practical aspects of E&EE coincided with the expansion of entrepreneurship oriented education at all levels of the educational system. Contrary to some claims advanced by business education scholars and quantitative economic theorists, E&EE research and related dissemination has been developing and maturing at a faster pace than that experienced in older and more established educational disciplines. I posit that the speed of E&EE growth might be symptomatic of the dramatic and prolonged economic turbulence experienced recently in both domestic and global markets. Much of the credit for the fast, focused and empirically rigorous growth of the E&EE research agenda must go to those scholars and practitioners who devoted their time and resources to further a "Cinderella" disciple and contribute to its advancement and recognition.

The 17th double special issue in Education+Training comprises 14 articles which, individually and collectively, offer a critical perspective on diverse aspects and contexts associated with E&EE. It is designed to be convergent, rather than divergent in nature and it seeks to make an empirically rigorous contribution to the development of conceptual, contextual and practical aspects of this exciting topic of research. In planning, developing and completing this double special issue, I have benefited considerably from the advice, expertise and guidance of a number of individuals, too numerous to mention by name. I wish to thank all contributors, referees and advisors for their hard work and continued commitment to high standards of academic, research and practitioner publishing. Thanks are also due to Martin McCracken, the Editor of Education+Training, Sharon Parkinson and Laura Rowlands at Emerald Publishing Group, for their assistance during the final stages of the submission process.

Harry Matlay

Global Independent Research, Coventry, UK