Q.What is meant by an 'entrepreneurial competency'? Why is it said that such competencies can be developed?

A competency blends knowledge, skill, motive and attitude into result-getting behaviour, and because it is behaviour rather than a fixed gift, it can be improved.

Define the term, then give the reason it is developable.

Meaning. An entrepreneurial competency is an underlying characteristic of a person — a combination of knowledge, skill, motive, trait, self-image and attitude — that results in the successful setting-up and running of an enterprise. When these ingredients combine and are put into action, they appear as observable behaviour that produces results, and it is this behaviour that distinguishes a successful entrepreneur from an unsuccessful one.

Why competencies can be developed. For a long time people believed a successful entrepreneur was simply born with some rare quality. Research into entrepreneurial behaviour — notably the study of achievement motivation — has shown this to be largely wrong. What separates successful from unsuccessful entrepreneurs is a definite set of competencies, and because these are expressed as behaviour (rather than as a fixed, inborn trait), they can be identified, measured, taught and strengthened through suitable education, training and practice. This is exactly why entrepreneurship development programmes are worth running: if competencies could not be developed, no training could help.