The role of the entrepreneur in job placement

American Rehabilitation,  Winter, 1992  by Stephen White,  Michael R. Bond

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Employment represents the most widely accepted barometer of adulthood and success in American culture. It is the focus for much in government policies, the rationale for at least one cabinet level department (Department of Labor) and numerous federal programs, and is the measure of success in virtually all areas of life. In many ways, employment is the rite of passage, the "walkabout" for young Americans. Unemployment, unfortunately, is no stranger to workers with disabilities. Despite widely publicized efforts of major corporations to hire disabled people, for decades the unemployment rates for workers with disabilities has remained several times the rate for nondisabled people (Gentile, 1977; Rumberger, 1985; Mirga, 1985; Harris & Associates, 1987; Edgar, 1987; Olson, 1987a).

Lessons from the Literature

A review of recent literature yielded a common thread in entrepreneurial and small business endeavors in the field of vocational rehabiliation. Vandergoot and Wenzel (1990) emphasized the need for "marketability" training. McLoughlin, Garner, and Callahan (1987) suggested the need for rehababilitation counselors to view employees as customers. A new study by Wehman, Kregel, Sharer, and Hill (1987) found that employees preferred collaborative efforts with rehabilitation counselors on the job site. In fact, most successful programs identified in the literature had a formal marketing plan, as well as formalized systems of support for employees (Richman, 1982; Banzhaf, 1987).

The Workplace of the Future

The workplace of the 21st Century will require workers and managers to perform many of the functions of the entrepreneur. For the 43,000,000 Americans with disabilities, most of whom are unemployed and underemployed (Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990), the need for innovation and creativity in job placement will become increasingly evident in the years ahead. According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses will provide the bulk of employment growth into the next century (Solomon, 1989). Employees will need to be able to respond to the leadership styles of the entrepreneur.

As these influences begin to change the work force and jobs of the future, the preparation of workers to fill those positions will also become quite different. In the future, the emphasis will be placed more on developing transferrable job skills rather than on the narrow specialization that has been typical in training programs of the past (Daggett, 1984).

These changes are pervasive and require a purposeful response from job placement professions who attempt to assist people with disabilities in securing and maintaining quality, challenging employment. As the 21st Century approaches, it is incumbent upon rehabilitation professionals to critically examine existing job placement practices and consider lessons from the workplace of the future. This article describes a model for job placement for the 1990's and its application to the field of rehabilitation.

The Role of the Entrepreneur

The entrepreneur, according to Webster (1980), is simply: "... a person who organizes and manages a business undertaking, assuming the risk for the sake of profit." An entrepreneur starts an enterprise, assumes the risk, defines the business, and reaps the rewards (profits).

This section will define the characteristics of an entrepreneur and relate those characteristics to the field of vocational rehabilitation. Solomon (1989) described five distinguishing characteristics. An entrepreneur: (1) is a risk-taker, (2) seeks freedom in worldfie decisions, (3) is willing to dream dreams and see them through to reality, (4) is responsive to market conditions, and (5) provides service to diverse segments of society.

Risk-Taking. The entrepreneur will carefully examine each opportunity, evaluate the degree of risk, and make a reasonable decision. Often the challenge to "fly in the face of convention" is all that is needed to motivate the entrepreneur to leap into an enterprising adventure. Enthusiasm, self-confidence, hard work, and honesty combine to make the formula for a successful small business.

Freedom-Seeking. Freedom is the yardstick of success for many entrepreneurs. The ability to try out new ideas, follow one's instincts, and watch ideas become reality are aspects of freedom which draw entrepreneurs into the rapidly growing world of small business. Evidence of the changing values of workers and the predisposition of workers toward greater independence and control over their own work production is no more evident than in a study comparing Fortune 500 companies with Inc. 500 companies. Even though the smaller but faster-growing Inc. 500 companies lagged far behind the larger established companies in pay and benefits, employees were significantly more likely to be challenged by their jobs, to develop a sense of accomplishment, and to reap the rewards of their efforts (Hartman & Pearlstein, 1987).

Dreamer of Dreams. The entrepreneur is also disposed to dream dreams, to think globally rather than incrementally. Stephen Covey (1989) described effective people as those who see the desired end and work to make it a reality. He found that such successful people were more concerned with understanding and internalizing information than being understood. Entrepreneurs dream dreams, and then get to work to make those dreams a reality.