Drama in Entrepreneurship Training: Tool for entrepreneurial learning?

Abstract

<p><strong>ABSTRACT </strong></p> <p><strong>Questions we care about (Objectives):</strong> How should we analyse the drama workshops in order to find out what kind of benefits the entrepreneurs draw from the process?</p> <p><strong>Approach: </strong>The study is conducted in a context of a training programme for female entrepreneurs. The training programme included drama workshops which were videotaped. After the programme the participants were also interviewed in order to map out their experiences. In this paper we will analyse separately the videotapes and the interviews. <strong></strong></p> <p><strong>Results: </strong>Based on the study drama contributes to entrepreneurial learning. By applying both a researcher-centred and participant-centred approach in the analysis we develop a more versatile picture. When analysing and understanding the visual scenes as in the audience, we suggest that the drama is important for enacting the experience; and drama contributes to creating, reinforcing or complementing different forms of entrepreneurial experience. Based on the analysis of the interviews the drama provides the participants an inspiring and safe environment in which they can support team-building ability, build self-efficacy and develop self-understanding. The drama methods also offered the participants new tools for communicating with customers as well as an opportunity for relaxing from daily routines.</p> <p><strong>Implications: </strong>The implications from the study are two-fold. First, our results confirm that drama has important potential for entrepreneurship training. Second, by applying different methods we may approach the same issue from two very different angles and generate new understanding in a more comprehensive way. <strong></strong></p> <p><strong>Value/Originality: </strong>The paper investigates use of drama in entrepreneurship training in order to generate new understanding of the benefits of using drama to prompt entrepreneurial learning in the context of training. <strong></strong></p>