Would You Recognize an Entrepreneur if You Saw One?: Understanding & assessing the entrepreneurial mindset

Teaching faculty and expert entrepreneurs say, “I know an entrepreneur when I see one.” But converting that intuitive perception into a reliable and valid assessment–whether it be self-report assessment, diagnostic rubric, or cognitive instrument, can be challenging. Researchers and practitioners who attempt to assess qualities that make entrepreneurs successful struggle to:

• reliably and validly assess individuals’ entrepreneurial characteristics and competencies;  
• quantify the value-added of taught curriculum and research interventions; and
• link assessed knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors to actual entrepreneurial outcomes, including success in developing and scaling innovations.

To date, there aren’t commonly accepted, reliable and valid instruments that assess entrepreneurial mindset and competencies. But progress is being made. In this session, Dr. Thema Monroe-White & Dr. Gary Lichtenstein introduce experts who will update participants on developments in the field, followed by an Open Exchange on strategies for assessing entrepreneurial knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that work for them.  

Thema Monroe-White, VentureWell
Gary Lichtenstein, Quality Evaluation Designs
Nathalie Duval-Couetil, Purdue University
Ann McKenna, Arizona State University at the Polytechnic Campus
Sarah Zappe, Pennsylvania State University

Track: Assessment