Improvement in self-assessed entrepreneurial competence following participation in the Unternehmergeist Saar Program: A pilot study
August-Wilhelm Scheer Institut für digitale Produkte und Prozesse gGmbH, Uni Campus Nord D 5 1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany, e-mail: michelle.joergens@aws-institut.de et al.
What the paper says
PURPOSE: This pilot study evaluated the entrepreneurial development program Unternehmergeist Saar using the well-established Entrepreneurship Competence Framework (EntreComp). Three superordinate competence dimensions and their underlying competences were self-assessed pre- and post-program: (1) Ideas & Opportunities, (2) Resources, and (3) Into Action. The aim of this study was to measure the influence of Unternehmergeist Saar, and to derive possible improvements of the talent program. METHODOLOGY: A newly developed questionnaire based on the EntreComp dimensions (ComPE) was developed exclusively for this study, containing 45 statements to be numerically rated by participants. Two separate groups, totaling 92 participants, took part in the competence assessment, with testing conducted both before (N = 92) and after participation (n = 77). FINDINGS: Results showed significant improvements for each self-assessed superordinate competence dimension of ComPE, independently of group affiliation (all p < 0.01 to < 0.001). Eight of 15 subordinate competences improved significantly through program participation, with “Valuing Ideas,” “Creativity,” and “Mobilizing Resources” showing the largest improvements (all p < 0.001). At the same time, seven competences did not improve significantly, including “Working with Others” and “Learning Through Experience” (both padj = 0.999). IMPLICATIONS: The findings led to targeted adaptations of the Unternehmergeist Saar program, including structured self-reflection, motivational impulses led by alumni, intensified group pitch simulations, failure-reflection sessions, weekly micro-goals, and an expanded teamwork module. These changes aim to strengthen competences within the EntreComp dimensions (2) “Resources” and (3) “Into Action” for prospective cohorts. The need for future research to incorporate long-term follow-ups that combine self-assessment and objective assessments of entrepreneurial competence is discussed. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: This pilot study is the first to evaluate Unternehmergeist Saar using a now freely available self-assessment questionnaire in the German language (ComPE), based on the EntreComp framework.
Evidence weight
Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40
| F · citation impact | 0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20 |
| M · momentum | 0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07 |
| V · venue signal | 0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03 |
| R · text relevance † | 0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20 |
† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.