Title: Training and its consequences on the innovative capacity of entrepreneurs

Authors: Natalia Martín-Cruz; Juan Hernangómez-Barahona; Ana Isabel Rodríguez-Escudero; Fernando Saboia-Leitao

Addresses: Department of Business Economics, University of Valladolid, Avda. Valle Esgueva, number 6, 47011 Valladolid, Spain. ' Department of Business Economics, University of Valladolid, Avda. Valle Esgueva, number 6, 47011 Valladolid, Spain. ' Department of Business Economics, University of Valladolid, Avda. Valle Esgueva, number 6, 47011 Valladolid, Spain. ' Department of Business Economics, University of Valladolid, Avda. Valle Esgueva, number 6, 47011 Valladolid, Spain

Abstract: With the objective of improving competitiveness, industries require entrepreneurial projects which are preferably characterised by high levels of innovation. One way of enhancing innovative capacity is to use training programmes which meet the specific needs of those individuals who lead the projects. In this paper, our aim is to study what type of entrepreneurship training is most appropriate in order to reinforce such a capacity. Additionally, we control if formal education and knowledge heterogeneity have an effect on innovation capacity. To achieve our main objective, we used a sample of 354 entrepreneurs from the Castile and Leon region (Spain). The results lead us to recommend that the training centres and institutions which organise entrepreneurship training programmes should give preference to specific entrepreneurial training – and not as much to general training in business aspects – when they wish to strengthen the innovating spirit of the entrepreneurs.

Keywords: education programmes; innovative capacity; entrepreneurs; competitiveness; entrepreneurial projects; innovation levels; formal education; knowledge heterogeneity; Castile; Leon; regions; Spain; training centres; educational institutions; business confederations; innovating spirit; higher education; universities; CECALE; entrepreneurship; innovation management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEIM.2012.046597

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, 2012 Vol.15 No.3, pp.235 - 251

Received: 04 Aug 2008
Accepted: 12 Aug 2009

Published online: 31 Jul 2014 *

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