While a clarion call for ‘Make in India’ and ‘Startup India’ has been made, the success of all such ventures largely depends on the values and beliefs inculcated by student during the early years, without which the dream of entrepreneurial India will be distant
When we talk about ‘start-up culture’, what is it all aboutIJ The Cambridge dictionary defines ‘start-up’ as a small business that has just been started. Culture refers to values, beliefs, attitudes, customs and social behaviour. Attaching the word ‘culture’, it is to be automatically understood that culture cannot be created in a day.
The Government has been very ambitiously planning and playing a critical role in encouraging the start-up culture. Apart from the Government, other entities too play a significant role in instilling the entrepreneurial spirit. This role needs to be played (and the required mind-set developed) during the earlier part of life rather than when the student is stepping into higher education. Here, it is crucial to ponder on the role played by parents and educational institutions.
Start-ups, with the accompanying challenges, are quite vulnerable in the business world. Though ‘start-up’ is used for new entrepreneurial ventures, in today’s world of privatisation and competition a ‘start-up culture’ is very pertinent even for established businesses. looking at it proactively, this sprit needs to be inculcated, nourished over a period of time — ie including the formative years. Subsequently, at the higher educational level, this spirit can be further built on and skills can be honed. Imbibing certain values and beliefs for the entrepreneurial attitude needs to be done from a very young age. Parents being the first point of contact play an active role. During the growing-up period, apart from academics, exposure to different experiences is equally important.
Thus, the entire process of personality development plays a crucial role. As it is said, “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. Similarly, time needs to be dedicated to developing this culture. Parents need to inculcate certain values and beliefs which at a later stage culminate in an entrepreneurial personality. Children from a very early age need to be put into situations where they need to take independent decisions. These decisions may be in terms of making a choice of subjects, career options, following one’s passion as well as in other situations.
The desire for autonomy should be reinforced rather than being forced upon. This would contribute to their self-confidence as well as a better decision-making ability at a later stage. Today, with the rise of ‘helicopter’ parents imbibing the right attitude could be a matter of concern. Too protective an environment by parents would only be an impediment in the risk-taking ability of the younger generation.
Children should be made to realise early in life that shouldering responsibility and achieving the same is important and more satisfying than money. Parents may go over-board in motivating their young ones through external rewards, whereas it would be better if the young ones realise it sooner that they need to do things for internal satisfaction and be motivated intrinsically.
Moreover, the youngsters need to be educated about solving problems in the midst of adversity and scarce resources rather than comfort and abundance, which would be in sync with the start-up culture. Additionally, they must be encouraged to look at problems as challenges. They must come up with not one but many alternative solutions to the problems.
Needless to say, educational institutions do play an equally important role. These should become grounds for encouraging experimentation and thinking differently. Even if certain mundane activities need to be done, there should be enough scope for critical and creative thinking and generating innovative ideas.
Students must be encouraged to be unique in their thinking and outlook. A ‘can-do’ attitude, when it comes to taking up new assignments, should be rewarded. Instead of looking down upon failure while experimenting, ample opportunity should be provided to learn and prove oneself.
Enough platforms should be created for students to exhibit certain qualities like creativity, leadership, team-building, risk-taking ability etc. Projects entailing solving different problems of the society through new ideas need to be encouraged. Instead of the tried and tested methods of teaching new ways need to be incorporated. Teachers play a very crucial role when it comes to nurturing these attributes. Schools should not let it go, assuming that it would be taken up at higher levels.
Yes, there is a lot of emphasis being put on ‘Make in India’, ‘Skill India’, ‘Startup India’ etc. However, unless these values and beliefs are inculcated during the early years, entrepreneurial India may remain a distant dream. Rather than giving importance only to academics, fostering the required skills should be paid equal attention too. But personality development, for becoming entrepreneurs should not take a back seat.
(The writer is, Associate Professor, School of Management at The NorthCap University, Gurgaon)