Scholarly record

BEST PRACTICES IN CIVIC INITIATIVES TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS FOR STUDENTS

P. Marinescu, I. Dogaru, S. G. Toma

Abstract

The paper aimed to illustrate some of the best practices in civic initiatives pursued by a team comprising professors from universities and trainers from a training and consulting firm, united within a Romanian non-profit organization, in order to develop leadership and entrepreneurial skills in the case of students. The research methodology was based on both quantitative and qualitative methods. The paper demonstrated the importance of joint civic initiatives designed and implemented by people from both the academic and business environment and the key role played by a non-profit organization in order to develop specific business skills for Romanian students. Several types of events took place within the Romanian non-profit organization. First, the use of various case studies designed to meet the needs and expectations of the student groups, focused on the design, development and implementation of a business strategy. Second, mixed teams (comprised of students and experienced managers) competed on a virtual market by using a business simulator software. Third, inter-university competitions were organized by using the business simulator in several Romanian universities. The partnership between the academic and the business environment proved to be a key objective for many organizations. Such collaboration generated a constant flow of useful business skills between them and provided a better understanding of the future generation of leaders and entrepreneurs.

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