Abstract
The aim of the present study is knowledge management in business and entrepreneurship-related education in selected educational institutions. The statistical population includes 223 universities from different countries around the world based on the article by Robinson and Haynes from Baylor University, and the statistical sample includes 29 important universities. The required data was collected through documentary tools and interviews, and by means of the comparative study method, related course titles were extracted in the mentioned universities, and their similarities and differences were explained in 22 and 28 comparative indicators. Then, the mentioned courses were divided into three categories according to the opinions of experts, including the common course group, the specific course group of corporate entrepreneurships (independent) with 25 titles, intra-organizational entrepreneurship with 17 titles, organizational entrepreneurship with 10 titles, and the supplementary course group. The results showed that in the universities studied, courses related to independent entrepreneurship, or courses related to starting new and independent businesses, were emphasized and important by universities more than other courses; and from this perspective, courses related to intra-organizational entrepreneurship and organizational entrepreneurship were in the next levels of importance and emphasis. Using the results of this study, managers and officials can design local models of entrepreneurship and business education according to environmental capacities along with a global perspective, and suggest appropriate course titles to suit the environment in which entrepreneurs are supposed to use or create opportunities.
Introduction
Entrepreneurship and business include visible behaviors, and can be taught and educated. Entrepreneurship education is considered one of the determining and influential factors on the rate of development and expansion of entrepreneurial activities in a country (Hasan et al., 2025). Entrepreneurship is a contingent and interdisciplinary subject that appears in various forms across nations, regions, over time, and among individuals. Although some scholars consider the characteristics of entrepreneurs to be non-acquired, it must be acknowledged that environmental factors have a great impact on the development of entrepreneurs (Karavand et al., 2025). These factors include culture, networks, access to capital, social mobility, and government policies. Given the importance and role of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs in the process of creating welfare, generating wealth, and growing and developing countries over the past few decades, the educational systems of developing and advanced countries have implemented specific educational and research programs for training entrepreneurs, according to their needs and within their capabilities (Paliwal et al., 2022). European governments provide special support for activities that encourage entrepreneurship among young people. In the United States, entrepreneurship education has also received much attention within university courses and by specific institutions. Canada and some Asian countries such as the Philippines, India and Malaysia have also taken significant steps to support entrepreneurial activities. This support includes practical guidance, consulting, providing financial facilities and holding special courses on entrepreneurship within universities or outside universities (Liliana et al., 2025). In a comparative study of entrepreneurship education in France and the United States, it has been concluded that in France, the views and perceptions that exist towards entrepreneurship and its impact are not very positive. This study also provides insights into the factors that influence the success and failure of educational programs, and examines how George Mason University's School of Business incorporates an open education approach into business education, utilizing a combination of effective methods such as first-year seminars, shared thinking experiences, learning communities, collaborative assignments, undergraduate research, community-based learning, internships, capstone courses and projects, and diversity and global learning. Accordingly, the present study uses a modeling method to conduct a comparative study of entrepreneurship-related education at major universities around the world, and then, based on the results obtained, local and appropriate educational courses will be presented for Iran. The present study, based on a review of the relevant literature, will answer the following question: How is knowledge management in business and entrepreneurship-related education in selected educational institutions?
Theoretical Framework
Knowledge Management
Knowledge management is the process an organization utilizes to collect, organize, share, and analyze its knowledge in a way that is easily accessible to employees. This knowledge can include technical resources, frequently asked questions, training documents, and other information (Afshari et al., 2020).
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is a management approach that gives meaning to concepts such as innovation, flexibility, and responsiveness in the light of understanding environmental opportunities. Organizational entrepreneurship occurs when an organization relies on growth and the use of new opportunities from internal and external factors of its organization (Darabi et al., 2019).
Rashidi et al. (2025) investigated the identification and evaluation of educational cooperation opportunities between Iran and the member countries of the Belt and Road Initiative. They showed that digital infrastructure (13.76), cultural diplomacy (13.58), and joint curriculum development (13.30) were among the causal and driving factors. These numbers indicate the relative importance and priority of these themes in the proposed research processes. While other themes such as educational equity (11.20), resource provision (13.15), and regional knowledge production (12.10) play more of a dependent and dependent role. Cultural and linguistic challenges are also considered barriers to academic interactions, but solutions such as strengthening digital infrastructure (13.76), online education (13.82), and concluding multilateral agreements can be effective in reducing their effects. The results of the study emphasize the need for a systemic, forward-looking, and causal-oriented perspective in Iranian educational policymaking, and on this basis, prioritizing components such as academic exchange (12.14) and digital infrastructure (13.76) will play a key role in the success of regional scientific cooperation.
Khoshnudi et al. (2025) examined the design of a curriculum based on entrepreneurial thinking based on the content analysis method. They found that the following factors have an impact: appropriate educational resources, experts and entrepreneurs, encouraging creative thinking and innovation, providing practical opportunities, regular evaluation and feedback, developing communication and collaboration skills, training in time and resource management, problem-solving ability, training in technical and specialized skills, and encouraging critical thinking in the field of entrepreneurship and business.
Research methodology
The statistical population includes 223 universities from different countries around the world based on the article by Robinson and Haynes from Baylor University, and the statistical sample includes 29 major universities.
Research findings
The required data were collected through documentary tools and interviews; and through the comparative study method, relevant course titles were extracted in the mentioned universities and their similarities and differences were explained in 22 and 28 comparative indicators. Then, applying the opinions of experts, the mentioned courses were divided into three categories, including the group of common courses, the group of specific courses of corporate entrepreneurship (independent) with 25 titles, intra-organizational entrepreneurship with 17 titles, organizational entrepreneurship with 10 titles, and the group of supplementary courses. The results showed that in the universities under study, courses related to independent entrepreneurship, or courses related to starting new and independent businesses, were emphasized and considered important by the universities more than other courses, and from this perspective, courses related to intra-organizational entrepreneurship and organizational entrepreneurship were in the next levels of importance and emphasis. Through the results of this study, managers and officials can design local models of entrepreneurship and business education according to environmental capacities along with a global perspective, and suggest appropriate course titles to suit the environment in which entrepreneurs are supposed to use or create opportunities.
Conclusion
The present study was conducted with the aim of knowledge management in business and entrepreneurship-related education in selected educational institutions. The results of this study are consistent with the results of Rashidi et al. (2025), Khoshnudi et al. (2025), Torabpour (2025), Tahmasbzadeh Sheikhlar et al. (2025). Khetarpal et al. (2025), Karavand et al. (2025), Soltani & Tarin (2025), Yadollahi Farsi & Sadeghi Ganjeh (2025), Anubhav et al. (2024), Adeel et al. (2023), and Tabibniya et al. (2022). Khoshnudi et al. (2025) found that the following factors have an impact: appropriate educational resources, experts and entrepreneurs, encouraging creative thinking and innovation, providing practical opportunities, regular assessment and feedback, developing communication and collaboration skills, training in time and resource management, problem-solving ability, training in technical and specialized skills, and encouraging critical thinking in the field of entrepreneurship and business.
Given that entrepreneurship is related to and deals with all aspects of human life and, of course, with all educational and experimental academic disciplines, it is therefore suggested that in addition to the specific and specialized academic discipline of entrepreneurship, all other academic disciplines, in addition to their main courses, study a number of courses related to the three types of entrepreneurship, to create this capability in their graduates so that they can, in coordination with their academic discipline and field, commercialize their knowledge and learnings by establishing business institutions and entrepreneurial companies (independent entrepreneurship) or be able to carry out intra-organizational entrepreneurship within existing companies.