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:

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:

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:

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:

  1. 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).
  2. 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).
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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)
  7. 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:
  8. 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)

  9. 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:

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:

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.