Entrepreneurial Competence in Academia: A Qualitative Study of Faculty Members’ Views in Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

This research explores faculty members' views on entrepreneurial competence in public sector Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan. The study utilizes an interpretivist paradigm to explore faculty views through face-to-face nine semi-structured interviews using a convenience sampling technique to collect data from nine faculty members. Subsequently interviews were transcribed, coded into key patterns representing entrepreneurial pedagogical practice. This research used thematic analysis in qualitative research approach (Simunaniemi & Muhos, 2017; Vaismoradi et al. 2019) to establish insights into entrepreneurial pedagogical practices of the faculty members in HEIs. The expansive learning theory has been used to describe the dynamics of entrepreneurial competence in teaching practices that emphasize innovation, collective change, and the transformation of educational approaches to entrepreneurship. This study explores opportunities in integrating entrepreneurial competence into the curriculum of HEIs, indicating that many faculty members are lacking the entrepreneurial teaching-learning practices; therefore, need proper training to build the capacity to organize entrepreneurial activities to better prepare students for the entrepreneurial challenges of the future. Further, emphasize on need to shift pedagogical practices toward more action-oriented, skills-based teaching, including industry-based practical workshops and interdisciplinary collaborations. The findings of the study provide practical insights into improving entrepreneurial capacity within HEIs.