Entrepreneurial Management Skills Needed by the Teachers of

Automobile Mechanic Trade in Technical Colleges in Kogi and Ekiti

States of Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION

Block-laying and concreting trade is one of the courses offered in technical colleges to equip

students with salable skills. The real value of creating an enterprise is not in having the finished

product in hand; rather, the value lies in the process of researching and thinking about your business

in a systematic way. The act of management principles helps to think things through thoroughly,

study and research if you are not sure of the facts, and look at your ideas critically. It takes time now,

but avoids costly, perhaps disastrous, mistakes later. National Policy on Education (FGN, 2004)

stated that vocational education shall emphasize teaching and learning of trades in Nigeria

schools that will enable students to be entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship according to Beugelsdijk

(2007) is the acquisition of skills, ideas and managerial abilities necessary for personal self-

reliance. Nwafor (2007) also defined entrepreneurship as the willingness to seek out investment

opportunities in an environment and be able to establish and run an enterprise successfully based

on the identified opportunities. Aminu (2008) explained that entrepreneurship is the process of

creating something new with value, by devoting the necessary time and effort to bear the

company risks, and receiving the resulting rewards of monetary and personal satisfaction and

independence. He argued that, a typical entrepreneur is a risk taker, a man/woman who braves

uncertainty, strikes out on his own, and through nature with devotion to duty and singleness of

purpose, somehow create a business and industry activity where none existed before. Aminu

(2008) also viewed an entrepreneur as an individual or group of individuals who either

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undertakes the responsibility of making innovations in the economy or carries out a new

organization of industry. In other words, an automobile mechanic entrepreneur is any one or

group of individuals who create a business in automobile, establishes it and nurture it to growth

and profitability or takes over an existing business with sole purpose of introducing new goods

and services or developing new sources of materials and continues to build and innovate on it.

An automobile mechanic craftsman who possesses adequate management skills and competent in

diagnosing and repair of automobile can become an entrepreneur in auto body repair, auto engine

repair, auto electrician, auto parts merchandise and auto tyre vulcanizing. Automobile mechanic

trade is one of the trades that are included in the National Board for Technical Examination

(NBTE 2007) curriculum for technical colleges in Nigeria to enable the young minds to be self

reliance.

In these specialized areas, students of automobile mechanic trade can be a successful

entrepreneur if the right principles of entrepreneurship management are inculcated into the

teaching and learning in the nation’s technical colleges.

Entrepreneurship is referred to as an individual ability to turn ideas into action Expert

Group (2009). Solomon (2010) explained that true entrepreneurship is characterized by three

attributes: opportunity recognition, marshalling of resources and the creation of business. In Igbo

(1995), entrepreneurship involves risking financial, material and human resources in a new way

in the course of creating a new business concept or opportunity within an existing firm. Elechi

(2009) defined entrepreneurship as the willingness and ability of an individual to seek for

investment opportunities in an environment and be able to establish and run an enterprise

successfully based on the identified opportunity. For any teacher of automobile mechanic trade

to effectively impart entrepreneurship into the teaching and learning, they are expected to

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possess entrepreneurial management skills which will enable students to be able to establish and

run their enterprise successfully.

Entrepreneurial management provides people with a powerful set of tools that improves their

ability to plan, implement, and manage activities to accomplish specific organizational objectives

(Larson & Gray, 2011). Entrepreneurial management in automobile mechanic is more than just a

set of tools; it is a results-oriented management style that places a premium on building

collaborative relationships among a diverse cast of characters. Exciting opportunities await

people skilled in entrepreneurial management in automobile. Management as viewed by (Patil,

2011) is planning, organizing, directing and controlling activities. Entrepreneurship

management in the context of this paper is the ability of an individual marshalling business

opportunity available in the environment and using available resources (man, material and

money) to achieve the enterprise goal through effective planning, organizing, coordinating and

evaluation of automobile mechanic trade.

Entrepreneurial Management Skills Needed for Planning Automobile Mechanic

Enterprise.

Entrepreneurship management in automobile mechanic trades begins with set objectives

and ends with determining how well the set objectives are accomplished. Solomon, (2010),

described planning as formulating a scheme of action or procedure for carrying out a task.

Usman (2000) planning involves setting of objectives and strategies, policies, programmes and

procedures for achieving organization objectives. In automobile trade, planning is important

because it provides direction and sense of purpose. Successful planning is the key to the

enterprise effectiveness and success. Hence the teachers of automobile mechanic trades in

technical colleges need to be up-dated and trained in the planning activities in entrepreneurship

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automobile mechanic trade. Entrepreneurial planning activities involves process of determining

in advance, stated objectives, necessary material resources needed, budgeting for material and

identifying where these materials can be purchased.

Therefore, automobile mechanic teachers in technical colleges need entrepreneurship

management training in planning automobile trades, this will in-turn enable the teachers to train

students on management of automobile trade enterprise that will make students to perform in

their own business after training from technical college creating wealth for themselves and

improving the economy of the nation.

When entrepreneurship automobile mechanic trade planning is done, the following goals

are taken into consideration Wheeler (1997) stated the goals as to develop in each student an

insight and understanding of the industry and its place in the society, industry is a constructive

force in the world today where competition is high, so the school should take the responsibility

of providing opportunities for each student to understand this force. This is to be done by

providing experiences relating to industry in which the students acquire skills in performance of

principles and theory through study and application; to discover and develop student’s talents in

entrepreneurship education; to develop problem-solving skills related to the processes and

products of industry; to develop in each student, skills in the proficiency and safe use of tools,

machines and other consumable material and providing good services to the community. When

there is proper planning, good organization will follow.

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Entrepreneurial Management Skills Needed for Effective Organizing Automobile

Mechanic Enterprise.

Organization could be viewed as the way in which different parts are arranged or relate to one

another. Okozu (2000) described organizing as a coordinating and preparing for activities or

actions. It involves the establishment of structure of tasks which need to be performed to achieve

these tasks into jobs for an individual goals of the organization, grouping these tasks into jobs for

an individual creating groups of jobs within sections and departments, delegating authority to

carry responsibilities and providing system of communication, and for coordination of activities

within the organization. Okorie (2001), explained how to organize activities in an occupational

trade for effective management: machines and tools should be organized in sequence, like uses,

sizes, and colour for easy reference and accountability; proximity to users should be of high

priority; lost or damaged tools should be replaced for continuity of the programme; tools should

be arranged so that teachers can inspect and identify immediately, worn-out, broken and lost

tools. Careless loss of tools and materials due to pilfering and vandalize must be checked

constantly and waste be minimized. Teachers of automobile mechanic need to be trained in

entrepreneurial organizing management principles, this in turn will enhance developing in

students an insight and understanding needed for entrepreneurship management. When the

teachers are trained in the organization principle of management, it makes coordination of the

enterprise easy.

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Entrepreneurial Management Skills Needed for Effective Coordinating Automobile

mechanic Enterprise.

Coordination is one of the basic principles of management. Teachers of automobile mechanic

have the task of coordinating the use of all the materials in automobile trade for effective

instruction and management. Coordinating could be described as a process of fitting together the

various groups and operations into an integral pattern of purpose or into appropriate relationship,

the people and material resources needed for the attainment of the objectives (Okorie, 2001).

Okorie (2001) viewed coordination as activities involving certain principles such as:

coordination by direct contact of people concerned; coordination in the early stages, this is more

effective when representatives of the people involved plan together, organize together and

allocate human and material resources; coordination as a reciprocal relation of all factors in

situation. For effective coordination there must be adjustment and re-adjustment of activities or

allocation of material resources of one group in relation to the other groups. An entrepreneur

must be an effective coordinator if the enterprise will survive the test of time and compete

globally. Nneji (2000) enumerated the characteristic of a laboratory coordinator as individual

who ensures that appropriate material are used for the right job or project, maintain good

relationship with laboratory users, and ensures maximum productivity and minimum wastage of

materials: a coordinator should possess sufficient occupational experience to earn and maintain

respect.

In the above characteristics, automobile mechanic entrepreneur if is to create wealth, stay

on the job and compete globally, has to ensure that the right materials are used for the right job,

ensures maximum productivity, minimum wastages, keeping of useful records and reports that

will help in the expansion of the enterprise and maintain cordial relationship with people . This

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can only be possible if the entrepreneur possess occupational experience or skills required. The

various activities engaged in any automobile mechanic enterprise have to be periodically

evaluated to show the extent to which success has been achieved.

Entrepreneurial Management Skills Required for Effective Evaluation of Automobile

Mechanic Enterprise.

Evaluation was described by Olaitan, Igbo, Nwachukwu, Onyemachi, & Ekong, (1999) as a

process of determining the changes in the students’ behaviuor and appraising them against the

values represented in the objectives to find out how far the objectives of education are achieved.

They stressed further that evaluation is a continuous process of collecting valid and reliable data

for the purpose of comparing programme outcome with programme objectives to provide useful

information for making sound decisions.

Okoro (2000) maintained that evaluation is the determination of the worth of a thing. It includes

obtaining information for use in judging the worth of a programme, product, procedures,

objectives or the potential utility of alternative enterprise approaches designed to attain specific

objectives.

Evaluation therefore, is the process of assessing the effectiveness and utilization of materials in

automobile mechanic in relation to its objectives using appropriate techniques and providing

feedback, Okoro ( 2000) all noted that: evaluation involves a systematic process: it is a

controlled observation of pupils charge in behaviour; evaluation assumes that instructional

objectives have been previously identified; the pupils have been exposed to some content before

evaluating the extent of learning behavioural change that has taken place; such information is

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 made available for decision makers and on the basis of information provided, decision makers

make decisions as regards the programme evaluation. They stressed further that evaluation

should involve the development of a list of objectives indicative of performing and to determine

the adequacy of available resources. Teachers of entrepreneurship automobile mechanic are to

gather and process information on the enterprise programme that can be directed towards review,

revising and accountability. Automobile enterprise education evaluation can be categorized as;

curriculum evaluation and instructional evaluation.

Curriculum evaluation emphasizes how far the needs of the society are satisfied. It is also

concerned with the total influence of a number of instructions on the learner. It however

incorporates instructional evaluation Harbor-Peters (1999). Instructional evaluation is the extent

to which the students has mastered and developed to use skills and ideas contained in the

instruction. It is intended to release the power in the students rather than assess and predict it.

In entrepreneurship automobile, both curriculum and instructional evaluations are to be

carried out to know the extent the students has understood, mastered and developed ability to use

skills and ideas contained in the instruction and the programme in general. The teachers of

entrepreneurial automobile mechanic require the necessary training to upgrade in both

curriculum and instructional evaluation.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

It was noted that automobile mechanic technical college certificate holders lack

entrepreneurship management skills and this has led to not being able to establish their own

enterprise. It was also gathered that those who established their own enterprise could not sustain

it due to lack of management principles, which led to the enterprise closure. This problem was

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traced to the teachers of automobile mechanic inability to give adequate training in the area of

entrepreneur management. Inability of teachers of automobile mechanic in entrepreneur

management skills is evidences identified in material, time wastage and incompetence of

technical college leavers establishing automobile enterprise.

These circumstances provided an excellent opportunity for the researcher to identify the

needed entrepreneurial management skills of automobile mechanic teachers in technical colleges.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY.

The major purpose of this study is to investigate entrepreneurial management skills needed by

the teachers of automobile mechanic in technical colleges in Kogi and Ekiti States.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What are the entrepreneurial planning management principles needed by automobile

mechanic teachers in technical colleges?
2. What are the entrepreneurial organizing management principles needed by
automobile mechanic teachers in technical colleges?
3. What are the entrepreneurial coordinating management principles needed by

automobile mechanic teachers in technical colleges?

4. What are entrepreneurial evaluating management principles needed by automobile

mechanic teachers in technical colleges?

METHOD AND PROCEDURE

The following procedure was adopted in conducting this study.

POPULATION AND SAMPLE.

All teachers teaching automobile mechanic in technical colleges in Kogi and Ekiti states

technical colleges comprised the population of the study. Twenty two automobile mechanic

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 teachers were involved in the study, hence there was no sampling. The two states were chosen

because most auto mechanic enterprise owned by technical college leavers is no longer

functioning.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND INSTRUMENTATION.

Research design adopted for this study was survey research design.

The researcher developed structured questionnaire to elicit information from automobile

mechanic teachers in entrepreneurial management skills needed in the area of the study. The

validity of the instrument was established prior to data collection. The instrument was validated

by two experts in automobile mechanic lecturer at Ado-Ekiti State University and one expert in

automobile industry. The observations made by these experts about the quality of the items were

removed and the researcher incorporated their suggestions. All the instruments were based on the

entrepreneurial management skills.

PROCEDURE AND ANALYSIS

This study was survey research design in nature and was conducted in technical colleges in Kogi
and Ekiti States. Four point Likert scale rating of Highly Needed (HN); Needed (N); Not Needed
(NN); and Strongly Not Needed (SNN) were used to seek for respondents opinions. Reliability
coefficient of the instrument was established using Chronbach Alpha. The coefficient was found to
be 0.88 Mean and standard deviation was used to analyze the data. Mean and standard deviation
was also used to answer the research questions. Decision rule used were 3.50 to 5.00 Needed (N),
less than 3.50 Not N (NN).

RESULT

Question 1: What are the entrepreneurial planning management principles needed by automobile
mechanic teachers in technical colleges?

TABLE 1: Mean ratings of respondents on the entrepreneurial planning management principle

needed by the teachers of automobile mechanic in technical colleges.

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TABLE 1: ENTREPRENEURIAL PLANNING MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLE NEEDED BY
AUTOMOBILE MECHANIC TEACHERS.
N=22
ITEM X SD REMARKS
Formulate specific objectives for using automobile material
resources for practical work in automobile workshop
4.43 0.91 N
Determine the material resources (auto parts and tools) needed 4.08 0.83 N
for practical work in the workshop
Budget for material resources needed for practical in 3.66 0.96 N
automobile mechanic workshop
Identify the sources where high quality materials could be 3.91 0.87 N
procured for automobile mechanic workshop

Decide on the maximum materials needed by the students for 3.50 1.16 N
a practical lesson in automobile mechanic workshop.
Prepare a lesson using specific materials needed for teaching 4.18 1.04 N
desired skills in automobile mechanic practical work.

The result reflected in Table 1 above indicated that automobile mechanic teachers in technical
colleges need entrepreneurial planning management principle as shown in Table 1 that the items
in the table had mean range of (3.66 to 4.43) and standard deviation range of (0.83 to 1.16)

Question 2. What are the entrepreneurial organizing management principles needed by

automobile mechanic teachers in technical colleges?
TABLE 2: Mean ratings of the respondents on the entrepreneurial organizing management
principle skills needed by automobile mechanic teachers in organizing material resources for
teaching automobile mechanic in technical colleges.

TABLE 2: ENTREPRENEURIAL ORGANIZING MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLE NEEDED

BY AUTOMOBILE MECHANIC TEACHERS IN TECHNICAL COLLEGES.
ITEMS X SD REMARKS

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 Arrange all the material resources available in automobile mechanic 4.17 0.91 N
workshop in conformity with safety regulations.

Identify the quantity of consumable materials and tools needed for a 4.20 0.75 N
practical class in automobile mechanic workshop
Arrange students in the class into groups for the use of material 4.30 1.24 N
resources for practical lessons in automobile mechanic workshop

Organize students into groups for specific tasks for effective 3.48 1.25 N
utilization of materials in automobile mechanic workshop.

Organize instructions to allow delegation of tasks in automobile 4.41 0.82 N

mechanic workshop

Provide guide lines for students involved in using electrical 3.84 0.66 N
operated machines in automobile mechanic workshop

The above table indicated that the items had mean range of (3.48 to 4.41) and standard deviation
range from (0.66 to 1.25) which showed that the respondents were close together among
themselves and not far from the mean in their opinions.

QUESTION 3. What are the entrepreneurial coordinating management principles needed by

automobile mechanic teachers in technical colleges?

TABLE 3: ENTREPRENEURIAL CO-ORDINATING MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLE

NEEDED BY AUTOMOBILE MECHANIC TEACHERS IN ECHNICAL COLLEGES.
ITEMS X SD REMARKS
Liaise between administration and the students to 3.52 0.95 N
ensure adequate supply and utilization of materials
needed for practical work in automobile mechanic
workshop.
Use appropriate materials for the content of the 4.29 1.41 N
practical lessons taught in automobile mechanic
workshop
Guide students in the use of appropriate materials on 3.86 0.90 N

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 machines in the workshop.
Direct students excursion to automobile industry to 3.52 1.09 N
observe the use of the material resources available in
automobile industry.
Supervise the keeping of inventory of material 4.31 0.86 N
resources in automobile mechanic workshop store.

The data represented in table 3 revealed that all the items in the table had mean range of (3.52 to
4.31) and had standard deviation of (0.86 to 1.41). Therefore, the entire items were needed by
automobile mechanic in co-ordinating students’ use of material resources for practical lessons in
automobile mechanic in technical colleges.

RESEACH QUESTION4: What are entrepreneurial evaluating management principles needed

by automobile mechanic teachers in technical colleges?

TABLE 4: ENTREPRENEURIAL EVALUATING MANAGEMENT PRNCIPLE NEEDED

BY AUTOMOBILE MECHANIC TEACHERS IN TECHNICAL COLLEGES.

ITEM X SD REMARKS
Develop a list of objectives indicative of performance 4.25 1.00 N
in the use of material resources in automobile
mechanic workshop.
Determine the adequacy of available material 4.06 0.75 N
resources for a practical lesson in automobile
mechanic
Develop instrument for assessing students’ 3.56 1.07 N
performance in the use of material resources during
practical lessons in automobile workshop.
Conduct process evaluation of students in the use of 4.22 0.93 N
material resources for practical in automobile
mechanic.
Determine the quantity of wastage of materials during 3.86 0.85 N
practical lessons for possible correction of errors.
Determine the level of damage to tools and machines 4.58 0.85 N
for possible retraining of students on their uses.
Provide information on the damaged tools and 3.96 0.79 N

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 machines in the workshop to the administration for
possible repair.

Table 4 indicated that all the items in the table were deeded; the items had mean range of (3.56 to
4.58) and standard deviation range of (0.75 to 1.07) showing that the respondents were close to
one another.

DISCUSSION

The result of the investigation showed that automobile mechanic teachers agreed that the
identified entrepreneurial management principles on planning material resources for teaching
automobile mechanic in technical colleges are needed. These entrepreneurial planning
management principles include: formulation of objectives, determine the material resources,
budgeting for the materials resources for a practical lesson and prepare a lesson using specific
material required. It was found out from the study that teachers of automobile mechanic need
identified entrepreneurial management principle in organizing material resources for teaching
automobile mechanic.

The study also revealed that teachers of automobile mechanic need management principle
in co-ordinating students’ use of material resources in the workshop for practical work, these
include: to liaise between the administration and students, to ensure adequate supply and
utilization of material resources, guide students use of machines, supervise the keeping of
inventory of material resources. The findings also identified entrepreneurial management
principle in evaluating students’ use of material resources for practical work in the workshop.

CONCLUSION

Keeping in view the statistical analysis of data and findings of the study, following conclusions
were drawn. The study showed some entrepreneurial management principles that are needed by
the teachers of automobile mechanic in the management of material resources in automobile
mechanic works at technical colleges. These entrepreneurial management principles for effective
establishment of an enterprise by technical college leavers were Planning, Organizing, Co-
ordinating and Evaluation.

RECOMMENDATIONS

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In the light of findings and conclusion of the study, following recommendations were made:

1. Since the study revealed some entrepreneurial management principles needed by teachers of
automobile mechanic in technical colleges for effective training of the students so the faculty
development program should be started for the preparation of teachers as trainers.

2. Entrepreneurial management principles are necessary for proper establishment of enterprise in

automobile mechanic by technical college leavers, hence the heads of the institutions should
encourage and support refresher courses, seminars and training programs for the teachers in
technical colleges so that the teaches may be able to impart entrepreneurship into students
activities in technical colleges.

3. Since this study was conducted on entrepreneurial management principles needed by the

automobile mechanic teachers in technical colleges, studies are needed to be planned and

conducted to compare the performance of technical college leavers that establish their own

enterprise.

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