7.2. PROGRAMS AND FORMS OF BUSINESS
EDUCATION
7.2.1. Public education institutions
Following the fact that the role of public
education institutions in the field of business education will be irreplaceable, an
important intention will be the improvement of programs and working forms in secondary
schools and in the University.
In secondary schools of
economic, juridical, agricultural and technical profiles that are mostly oriented for
preparation of students for business, a serious reexamination of teaching programs and
textbooks is necessary. Changes that are done in terms of the reform, are more formal than
substantial. Program materials are still burdened with many unnecessary contents,
expressed in inadequate ways, too abstract and difficult to be understood. This holds true
also for textbooks. As a consequence, too many notions are learned, and too little
knowledge and practical skills are gained. This implies that education institutions and
authorities, relying on positive experiences, undertake measures for changing the
situation:
- improving of programs,
- compilation of more suitable textbooks,
- training of teaching personnel in order to accept new
challenges.
Improvement of the situation seeks that
parallelly with the activity for program correction, special forms of training and
information (workshops and seminaries) for teachers be organized. Improving of textbooks
is also an urgent task.
University: In the Faculty of Economy,
Faculty of Law, Faculty of Agriculture and in technical profiles more concrete activities
for improvement of situation is also needed. The number of universities with
entrepreneurship courses in the USA has increased from about 15 in 1965 to over 400 in
1995 (H.P. Welsch, 1988).
Faculty of Economy: has made efforts
and has undertaken important steps in reforming of curriculum, particularly in the domain
of finance, management and informatics. Further is needed a higher rationalization of
materials, especially in the first two years and to get rid of past remnants, cooperation
with faculties from Western countries for training of pedagogical personnel and
advancement of teaching methods and technology, as well as development and enrichment of
post-graduate courses.
Faculty of Law: must also undergo
further reformations for achieving more knowledge from the domain of business right and
international economic activities, international commercial and financial right.
Faculty of Agriculture: must improve
its program and working forms in order to increase interest for studying in this important
faculty that is facing a certain crisis.
In the faculties of technical profiles,
managerial knowledge and skills are very modestly present, and therefore it is
indispensable that the programs be enriched with contents from basic economic topics
(introduction to economy and project management).
In the enrichment of program contents, we
must start from the necessity to:
- increase the level of fundamental knowledge for market
economy and develop a higher reflex for social and economic demands and necessities;
- pay more attention to the creation of managerial skills and
practical abilities;
- follow development trends of new technologies
globalization and digitalization.
Faculties and high schools must be more
flexible in organization of their work and in realizing of programs. Program changes must
be done more often. Through the system of facultative and optional courses, interests and
specific abilities of students must be encouraged. Access of these organizations in the
market with periodical forms of business education (seminaries, workshops etc.) is
desirable.
7.2.2. Private initiative
Private initiative must be branched out
and enable not only the improvement of knowledge gained during the regular education, but
also in launching of new more flexible forms of education that are able to adopt to the
market demands and to the development trends of business education and management.
Programs and forms that can be developed by
the private initiative can vary in a wide spectrum beginning from schools, colleges and
private faculties, seminaries, workshops and courses. Forms must be organized in
accordance with market demands. But, in our conditions when the market for business
education is not formed yet, programs and initiatives must provoke this market. However,
programs must be formed following:
- Research for demands and needs of business community and
particular categories that are addressed to the programs, such as youth, family business,
women business, needs of various levels of management and executive staff
- Experiences in business education in the USA and other
Western countries, as well as countries in transition.
This means that an optimum between
particular needs of business community in Kosova and experiences from long tradition in
Western market economies on business education must be found.
Forms in private initiative could be:
- Schools/colleges, private faculties of business, management
and entrepreneurship with 3-4 years for graduating phase, and post-graduate courses MBA
1-2 years, studies for doctorate Ph.D 3 years.
Program contents should be flexible,
for according to the analyses of experiences, most present are: the domain of management
(principles, strategic management, financial management, project management, operations
management, human resource management); the domain of marketing, entrepreneurship-business
plan, starting and development of business, finances, accounting and business informatics.
Programs also contain fundamental knowledge from economics (microeconomics,
macroeconomics, managerial economics).
- Programs for top managers, entrepreneurs and firm presidents
can vary from informative seminaries/workshops 1-3 days that have informative
character for issues that are more actual for business strategy development, to MBA
programs designed specially and adopted to be harmonized with their obligations in their
work. (Similar topics as in point 1).
- Programs for managers
that are periodical or permanent
with informative character lasting 1-11 days, or for deeper professional training lasting
from 21 days to 5 months, for particular problems or for a complex of problems (similar as
in point 1). These programs could be addressed also to the special structures of business
community: accountants, marketing executives, bankers, board members, lawyers,
agribusiness, processing industry, foreign trade, public programs and so on. A part of
these programs can be realized also from ABK (Association of Businessmen of Kosova) or
other non-governmental specialized organizations.
- Entrepreneurship consultants
are a special category of
business education and promotion network, which after training can work in regional and
local agencies/centers for SME promotion, or to form private business of consulting.
Training should last at least 1 month. Program has to deal mainly with juridical aspects,
business plan, marketing and finances. This form has shown positive experiences in
Slovenia.
- Education for family business
and its specifics is also
necessary, as it is to be expected that families will generate many business initiatives
in Kosova with potentials and possibilities to realize these initiatives in better
conditions.
- Experiences testify that most important fields for family
business are: financing, laws, taxes. Business planning, human resource management,
leading of firm to the succession problem, real estate planning, conflict resolution etc.
(Tanewski, Romano etc.,1997)
- Programs for young people
are often connected with
self-employment, creation of jobs in the form of specializing courses concerning
development and elaboration of the entrepreneurship idea, summer schools in the form of
camping (10-20 days), evening schools 1-3 months, and so on. These forms usually give
answers to the questions:
How to become entrepreneur?
How should I start and how should I develop
the business?, etc. Considering the structure of population, the importance of these forms
of education for us is significant. (Kaufman Foundation, 1997)
- Women business programs
are among the forms that are
oriented on business specifics with regard to certain category, besides the general part
that is understood.
7.2.3 Other subjects in realization of
business education programs
Except educational institutions and
institutions for consulting and scientific-development, in the application of business
education programs a special role have:
- Governmental institutions
for financial support and with
influence on standardization of contents and quality of forms that pretend to produce
certain qualifications;
- Chamber of Commerce/ Industry:
realization of programs
independently or in cooperation with professional institutions and organizations according
to the demands and needs of its members;
- ABK (Association of Businessmen of Kosova):
realization
of programs especially of those of informative character independently or in cooperation
regarding members needs to be more prepared for communicating with the environment
in which they operate;
- Other NGOs:
(economists, lawyers, engineers, youth
organizations, womens organizations) that in cooperation with other institutions and
organizations, can develop appropriate forms. Clubs of young entrepreneurs, the club of
young entrepreneur presidents, entrepreneurship mentors, technological entrepreneurship of
hi-tech, annual professional conferences for certain fields of business, council of
entrepreneurship consultants etc. can also be encouraged. (H.P. Welsch, 1998)
- Media
press, and electronic media,
specialized magazines can have a great impact in the affirmation of entrepreneurship, in
affirmation of successful entrepreneurs and creation of favorable environment for
respecting of their work, in creation of entrepreneurship culture and business ethics; an
initiative for a programmed approach regarding activities and problems of business
community in Kosova, in public and private media and in launching of special professional
and scientific magazines. Specialized publications for entrepreneurship have a very fast
growth, five times 1985-1997 (H.P.Welsch, 1998)
7.2.4. Methodology and technology of
education
Improvement of learning methodology and
technology in business education is one of fundamental problems for increasing the work
quality and for more effective results, which would be expressed with the increase of
motivation and demand of business community for programs in this field.
Methodological weaknesses and those of the
education technology in Kosova can be summarized as follows:
- Burdening of programs with historicism, ex-cathedra work,
domination of theoretical aspects and neglect of practical learning and skills;
- Domination of vertical approaches and the lack of horizontal
(interdisciplinary) approach;
- Domination of teaching versus learning
This is a consequence of an inadequate
technology, which is expressed in the table below:
Practice in |
Central European Universities |
Kosova |
1. Lectures |
20-60% |
70-95% |
2. Case study |
15-30% |
0-10% |
3. Stimulations/Games |
10-20% |
0-10% |
4. Projects |
15-30% |
0-10% |
Therefore, the first demand is a decrease
of this gap and its gradual overcoming. Gradual overcoming enables evading above mentioned
weaknesses.
Advancement of learning technology is
connected with the information and communication technology application in development of
learning. Computerization of education, simulation, distance learning, access in networks
will be unavoidable in further progress of education, in general, and in business
education, in particular, in order not to be isolated from modern trends. Therefore, we
must suggest a more rapid computerizing of education in public institutions, otherwise
those private surely will apply certain standard from the beginning.