Students Creating Value for Microenterprises in Live Casework: Cases from the Scandinavian Growth Creators Project

This case addresses the type of casework in entrepreneurship education where students collaborate with companies or organizations in a learning-through approach. It is a form of live casework that requires students to undertake an active role in the experiential learning process that enables them to focus on innovative business development for the involved microenterprises. This is assisted by a learning process based on value-creation pedagogy where there is a mutual goal of creating value for both the students and the microenterprises involved. The case focuses on the Scandinavian Growth Creators (SGC) project sponsored by the European Union Interreg program that aims at cross-border cooperation. The case presents a complex project setting where many stakeholders are involved in the development and implementation of the overall goals of equipping students with entrepreneurial competencies. Despite being challenging for all the involved parties, our case shows several advantages for students participating in live casework. Students report that they find benefits in using theory in practice, become motivated by live casework, build self-confidence, expand their network, and gain organizational insights. Moreover, the student surveys show a positive influence on students’ perceived ability to act entrepreneurially in the context of an organization after participating in live casework.