Entrepreneurs Born or Made - Coursework Example

Entrepreneurs born or made Name Date Course Entrepreneurs Born or Made Introduction An entrepreneur is someone who commercializes on his or her innovations. In order for one to be an entrepreneur, they must make certain in innovation in the market and commercialize on it (Ramoglou, 2013). The innovations could be in the form of a new product or service. An innovation may also be based on an existing product or service and it should not be a modification. Most of the people who are innovators are not entrepreneurs since they do not commercialize on the innovations. This therefore brings about the question of whether the entrepreneurs are made or born. Some of the entrepreneurs have a high level of education but some are school dropouts. The founder of Microsoft had to quite college and he ended up as one of the most powerful entrepreneurs. Other entrepreneurs like Richard Branson, Alan Sugar, and Theo Paphitis all dropped out of school at the age of 16. The fact that most entrepreneurs dropped out of school seem to support the idea that entrepreneurs are born and not made. This is also considering that they were not mentored by anyone to be come entrepreneurs. Despite their little education, they were also able to succeed where most of the highly educated people have failed. However, there are also entrepreneurs who are highly educated and left permanent employment to venture into entrepreneurship. Some employees have also left their jobs after working for sometimes to pursue entrepreneurship opportunities. Aligning skills and passion is however common for most of the entrepreneurs (Yecies, 2012). This is also considering that most of the entrepreneurs are always passionate about what the do. Other people have also ended up becoming entrepreneurs after loosing passion in their jobs or employment. Some individuals have also been mentored by the entrepreneurs and have ended up as great entrepreneurs. The paper critically looks at whether entrepreneurs are born or made. Discussion Entrepreneurs play an essential role in contributing to the economy of a country. Because of entrepreneurship, thousands of people have been employed and they benefit directly from entrepreneurs. It is also important to note that a single entreprenual venture can employ thousands of employees. This has led to the establishment of entreprenual education for the purposes of enabling people to study entrepreneurship and become great entrepreneurs (Rodrigues, et al, 2012). However, although thousands of students have undertaken entrepreneurship studies only a handful end up becoming entrepreneurs. This is an indication that entrepreneurs are not necessarily made. Most of the professors who have great entrepreneurship knowledge and skills are not entrepreneurs themselves. This is an indication that the entrepreneurship knowledge and skills are not enough to make individuals entrepreneurs. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs did not complete their education and did not undertake any entrepreneurship education. This further indicates that entrepreneurs are not necessarily made as compared to other professionals or career where the knowledge must be gained from education or training. Most of the successful entrepreneurs have also used their own personal knowledge and experience without undergoing training. It is the entrepreneurs who are successful that end up mentoring the educated individuals to become entrepreneurs. The genetic predisposition of the entrepreneurs cannot be considered as a factor that on its own produces entrepreneurs. This is considering that most of the successful entrepreneurs are from a humble background with little or no history of family members engaging in entrepreneurship. The personality of the entrepreneurs plays an essential role in enabling them to achieve the success that most of the people have. The personality of the individuals is usually different and everyone is born with a certain personality. It can therefore be assumed that the personality of the entrepreneurs is unique and different from the other individuals, which contribute to their success. It is for this reason that most of the highly qualifier individuals in the field of entrepreneurship are unable to make it as entrepreneurs. This can also explain why most of the people who undergo training or study entrepreneurship as a course are unable to make it. The personality of the entrepreneurs is therefore unique which enables them to indentify the entreprenual opportunities. On the other hand, it is also important to note that the lessons of success regarding entrepreneurship can be taught to anyone. It is the lessons of success that are usually taught in class to most of the individuals undertaking the entrepreneurship studies. The students undertaking entrepreneurship studies usually excel in their academics but they usually find it difficult to be entrepreneurs. This is can be explained by their personality as they have all that it takes to be entrepreneurs (Yecies, 2012). The lack of the correct personality makes it difficult for the most of the individuals to be entrepreneurs. The unique personality therefore contributes to the success of the entrepreneurs as opposed to the training undertaking in entrepreneurship. The unique personality enables the entrepreneurs to be successful without undertaking any training or being highly educated. Not all the entrepreneur opportunities are the same as most of them are not obvious. It therefore requires an entrepreneur to posses a certain skill and experience in order to explore the opportunity. Although all the entrepreneurs are risk takers, they do not posses the same skills. Each entrepreneur usually displays a particular strength that may not be acquired in class or cannot be acquired through mentorship. Some of the entrepreneurs are introverts while others are extroverts. Other entrepreneurs are natural risk takers while other usually approach opportunities with a cautious outlook. The process of making an entrepreneur is thus made difficult due to the diverse requirement of an entrepreneur (Casati & Genet, 2014). The diversity in the entrepreneurship opportunities also makes it difficult for an entrepreneur to be made. This is because of the complexities that are involved in determining the type of opportunities that the entrepreneur needs to exploit. There are also different types of entrepreneurs and this makes it difficult for the training to meet all the requirements of an entrepreneur. It is also important to note that an entrepreneur has to be passionate about the activities that they will be engaged in when taking up an entreprenual opportunity. Passion for certain activities is natural and it not a value that can be taught to the students or individual. All the successful entrepreneurs always had passion for the activities that they are undertaking. It is due to the passion that the entrepreneurs are inquisitive and this leads them to identifying an opportunity. The personality of the entrepreneurs is usually formed early in life and it is locked into place in the late adolescence. The personality of the people cannot be changed and hence the difficulties involved in the process of implementing the entreprenual activities and concepts despite the knowledge and experience. It is thus difficult to make someone an entrepreneur of they lack the inborn personality. The talent of most of the entrepreneurs also lies on their abilities to align skills with the potential opportunities in the market. This type of skills is more of natural as opposed to being acquired through learning or education. It is also the presence of such skills that the entrepreneurs can be differentiated from the other individuals. The unique talent enables the entrepreneurs to spot and align different skills. Most of the highly educated individuals have been able to make several innovations in their field of education. However, most of them have been unable to commercialize on their innovations despite the potentials that the opportunities can bring. This usually happen due to their lack of entreprenual personality (Baum, et al, 2014). It is also for this reason that most of the scientists are unable to become successful entrepreneurs despite the unique innovations that they have been able to come up with. Skills and attributes that maximize the entreprenual opportunities are also important for the purposes of carrying out entrepreneurship activities. It is also important to note that most of the people with poor attributes cannot be good entrepreneurs. Personality and innate qualities are the important factors that contribute to the ability of individuals becoming successful entrepreneurs. This is an indication that the entrepreneurs are born with the right personalities and qualities. Formal education cannot offer the individuals with all the knowledge and skill that they require to be entrepreneurs. It is for this reason that it is difficult for the entrepreneurs to be made through training and formal education. Most of the entrepreneurs who are highly trained or educated had to quite their jobs at one time in order to pursue entrepreneurship. This is an indication that the entrepreneurs always have an urge to pursue their own goals and objectives. Risk taking is also a characteristic that cannot be obtained through training from the formal education (Neck & Greene, 2011). The entrepreneurs are usually born with the risk taking attitude which is not common among most of the individuals. Most people do not like taking risks and it is difficult for them to quite their well paying jobs to start their own enterprise. Risk taking is an important characteristic of entrepreneurship and this cannot be taught which makes it difficult for the entrepreneurs to be made. Entrepreneurs are therefore born with unique qualities and skills cannot be acquired through training or formal education (Shane, 2010). The formal education provides the entrepreneurs with the basic knowledge that is useful for carrying out their entreprenual activities. However, it does not provide the key knowledge that is required by the entrepreneurs. Some of the important life skills that are required by the entrepreneurs are never taught in school. This is due to the nature of the skills and its roles in guiding the entrepreneurs. Most of the entrepreneurs who have been interviewed in the past have indicated that they were not taught more than 50% of the skills that guides them in their daily operations. Some of the important life skills for the entrepreneurs include handling failures and when to say no to a deal. Such life skills are natural as the situations that require such skills varies. On the other hand, it is also important to note that the entrepreneurs have to encounter difficult situations from time to time. This is considering that most of the entrepreneurs have to set up their enterprises without adequate finances. A lot of resilience as well as endurance are required by of the entrepreneurs. Such skills cannot be taught through the formal education but are instead inborn (Berglund, & Holmgren, 2013). It is for this reason that most of the individuals intending to be entrepreneurs usually close down their enterprise within one year. An entrepreneur does not give up easily and is always willing to face the challenges that may come with the opportunity. It is also important to note that the entrepreneurs are able to deal with challenges even at a youthful age which is an indication that they have the skills to do so. This further indicates that the entrepreneurs are born and not made. Control and recognition is also associated with entrepreneurship. The entrepreneurs from the youthful stage do not like being controlled and they also want to be recognized (Neck & Greene, 2011). This is a characteristic that is not common among most of the individuals. The desire for recognition and control is therefore a factor that motivates most of the entrepreneurs. Such qualities cannot be taught using formal education. This is an indication that the entrepreneurs are born and not made. The desire to have control through the utilization of the entreprenual opportunities plays an important role in enabling them to achieve the entreprenual goals that cannot achieved by most of the individuals. On the other hand, most of the entrepreneurs have self-discipline and commitment. Theses are values that cannot be taught through the use of formal education. Although the concepts of self-discipline and commitment are usually taught in the formal education, it cannot be imparted on individuals. On the other hand, it is also important to note that although some of the entrepreneurs dropped out of school at an early age, they were still able to maintain self discipline and commitment. It is also important to note that if entrepreneurs were made, it would have been difficult for those who dropped out of school to be successful entrepreneurs. This is an indication that the entrepreneurs are born and they only require some little knowledge that the formal education offers. The skills of the entrepreneurs are thus unique due to the lengths that they are able to go in order to achieve their goals and objectives. Most of the entrepreneurs are in support of the opinion that an entrepreneur is born and are not made. Lord Alan Sugar who is one of the famous entrepreneurs once said that the entreprenual spirit is something that individuals re born with. He also added that it does not matter the business school that the individuals attend or the books that they read. This being the opinion of the entrepreneur is an indication that entrepreneurs themselves recognize that they have unique skills that cannot be acquired through formal education. The concept of e-gene has also been brought about to describe the entrepreneurs (Shane, 2010). Some scientific research ahs indicates that in order for one to be a successful entrepreneur, they need to have an e-gene. This is therefore an indication that the entrepreneurs are unique as compared to the other individuals. The presence of the unique characteristics is therefore important in terms of differentiating the entrepreneurs from the other individuals who are in business. The support from the scientific studies indicates that the entrepreneurs are not made but they are born. However, a few individuals have been able to undergo training and have become successful entrepreneurs. Such individuals already had entreprenual characteristics and the training was mainly for the purposes of enhancing their skills. A research on entrepreneurship has also indicated that there are 33 unique skills that the entrepreneurs have. The 33 unique skills cannot be learned through the use of formal education. This is a further indication that entrepreneurs are born. An innovative researcher at the London school of Economics found that most of the entrepreneurs have six personality traits, which cannot be taught in the formal education. The six personality traits involve the difficult backgrounds, minority, need for achievement and power, risk taking and optimism, independent and social distinction, and disability. The six distinct personality traits are found on most of the successful entrepreneurs who have been able to make an impact in the world. The personality traits that have been identified by the research cannot be acquired through formal education (Baum, et al, 2014). Although some of the traits are external factors and it affects most of the individuals, there has to be a combination of the different personality traits in order for the individuals to be successful entrepreneurs. On the other hand, it is also important to note that some of the personality traits act as a motivation for the individuals and hence making them successful entrepreneurs. The disability trait does not necessarily mean the physical disability. It could be intellectual disabilities, which may influence negatively on the learning process of the individuals. Most of the people with intellectual disabilities are usually take a lot of time to learn the concepts being taught in formal education. The intellectual disability may force some of the entrepreneurs to drop out of school bit it cannot prevent them from achieving their aims and objectives due to the presence of the other personality traits. The presence of the traits therefore indicates that the entrepreneurs are born and not made. Research has also indicates that most of the entrepreneurs posses effectual logic which is useful during the problem solving process. The effectual logical cannot be acquired through formal education which is a further indication that the entrepreneurs are born. The entrepreneurs usually solve their problems with the available means as opposed to targeting the desired end. This can also be characterized as risk taking which most of the people are unwilling to take and hence their failure in becoming successful entrepreneurs. On the other hand, it is also important to note that the problem solving skills may not be taught with formal education, as the nature of the problems is usually different depending on different situations. Self-confidence and self-belief are some of the inborn values among the individuals (Yecies, 2012). Such characteristics cannot be acquired with formal education. Being self-confident and having self-belief is lacking among most of the people and anyone without theses characteristics cannot be an entrepreneur regardless of the formal education that they enroll in. Some of the famous entrepreneurs have also admitted to failing in the academics and could not continue with their education because of their poor performance. This is an indication that the formal education may not play a vital role in making one an entrepreneur. Survival skills are also required of the entrepreneurs, as they must go through difficulties. Some of the skills can be obtained through experience and hence enhancing the abilities. Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that the entrepreneurs are born. The entrepreneurs pose unique skills, which cannot be acquired through learning or formal education. It is also evident that most of the entrepreneurs did not perform well in schools and some of them dropped out at a young age. The entrepreneurship education is also on the increase. Most of the educational institutions are actively engaged in offering the entreprenual education. Entrepreneurship adds a lot of value to the economy as it creates employment for thousands of people. It is thus evident that a lot of importance is being placed on entrepreneurship. Most of the students study entrepreneurship but only a few are able to become entrepreneurs. This indicates that entrepreneurs cannot be made but are rather born. It is evident that some of the individuals posses high academic qualifications and experience but they cannot be entrepreneurs. It is also evident that the personality plays an essential role in determining who can and who cannot be an entrepreneur. The entrepreneurs have unique personalities, which makes them successful entrepreneurs. It is evident that the unique personality cannot be acquired with formal education. Research has indicated that the entrepreneurs have six personalities, which cannot be acquired through learning or formal education. It is also evident that the research has identified the presence of an e-gene among the entrepreneurs, which is an indication, that the entrepreneurs are born. This further indicates that entrepreneurs are born. The entrepreneurs also have a unique way of solving problems as compared to the other individuals. It is evident that great innovators have failed to become entrepreneurs, as entrepreneurship is not learned. Most of the entrepreneurs are not academically gifted and this forced them to drop out of school. It is also evident that the entrepreneurs have to resilience and self-confident. Self-belief is also an important quality that the entrepreneurs should have. Such qualities are in born and they cannot be acquired with forma education. Risk taking is also one of the main qualities that the entrepreneurs should have. Risk taking is not easy and it is difficult to acquire the risk taking skills through formal education. It is also evident that the entrepreneurs are born as some of the entrepreneurs themselves belief that their skills are natural and not made. List of References Ramoglou, S, 2013, Who is a ‘non-entrepreneur’? Taking the ‘others’ of entrepreneurship seriously, International Small Business Journal, 31(4), 432-453. Rodrigues, R. et al, 2012, The effect of an entrepreneurial training programme on entrepreneurial traits and intention of secondary students, Entrepreneurship–Born, made and educated, 77-92. Yecies, L, 2012, Are Entrepreneurs Born or Made. Views from the Life of a “Made” Entrepreneur, ForbesLife. Casati, A., & Genet, C, 2014, Principal investigators as scientific entrepreneurs, The Journal of Technology Transfer, 39(1), 11-32. Baum, J, et al, 2014, The psychology of entrepreneurship, Psychology Press. Shane, S, 2010, Born entrepreneurs, born leaders: How your genes affect your work life, Oxford University Press. Neck, H, & Greene, P, 2011, Entrepreneurship education: known worlds and new frontiers, Journal of Small Business Management, 49(1), 55-70. Berglund, K, & Holmgren, C, 2013, Entrepreneurship education in policy and practice, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing, 5(1), 9-27. Read More