Advancing Entrepreneurship in An Elementary School: A Case Study

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to introduce an experimental entrepreneurial elementary school in Israel. In addition to describing the organizational process of transformation from a conventional elementary school to an entrepreneurial school, the paper attempts to assess the impact of the process on teachers and pupils. The study investigates organizational culture, innovativeness of the school, the principal's proactivity and the entrepreneurial drive of pupils. The findings reveal that the interface of organizational culture fostering innovation, proactivity of the principal and a well defined project outline enables young pupils to learn about entrepreneurship, to learn to be entrepreneurial and to learn to become an entrepreneur. Since childhood and adolescence are the preferred periods in order to develop positive attitudes towards entrepreneurship and acquire basic knowledge on the issue, the presented case can provide a model for further educational undertakings fostering entrepreneurship in the future.