Expanding Business Strategy to Native American Communities Using Experiential Learning

Native American communities are struggling with unemployment and depressed economies. A major cause is a lack of business knowledge, education, and cultural desire. And yet, in the history of the American West, Native Americans were considered the best traders and negotiators for everything from furs to weapons to buffalo. To improve these economies, there has been an effort to reintroduce that heritage to todays and tomorrows generation of tribal members, such Crow, Cheyenne, and Blackfeet. Professors at the College of Business Montana State University-Billings (MSUB) teach tribal students in Montana to create business plans. These plans have won national small business plan competitions. The teaching and advising method used at MSUB is uniquely successful as theses business students are now five time national champions. This article reviews the environment and the method of learning to achieve a winning small business plan with Native American students. It discusses the five plans that became national champions. And it discusses the problems and solutions discovered in the process of achieving results. Students who participated in this endeavor have graduated and become CPAs, MBAs, and gainfully employed in their chosen professions. They have also worked to improve the economies of their native lands and homes. By educating members of these communities with business strategy and plan development, they are better able to impact their own economies.

Authors:

• A. J. Otjen

Keywords:

• Entrepreneurship
• Native Americans economies
• small businesses.

References:

[1] http://tribalnations.mt.gov/crow.aspx
[2] Kolb, D. A., Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning
and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1984. (p.38)
[3] Collins, L. A., Smith, A. J., & Hannon, P. D., “Applying a synergistic
learning approach in entrepreneurship education.” Management
Learning, 37, 335–354, 2006.
[4] Rae, D., & Carswell, M., “Using a life-story approach in entrepreneurial
learning: The development of a conceptual model and its implications in
the design of learning experiences.” Education and Training, 42, 220–
227, 2000.
[5] Caird, S, “What does it mean to be enterprising?” International Journal
of Management, 1, 137–145, 1990.
[6] Gunn, R., Durkin, C., Singh, G., & Brown, J., “Social entrepreneurship
in the social policy curriculum.” Social Enterprise Journal, 4, 74–80,
2008.
[7] Kickul, J., Griffiths, M., & Bacq, B., “The boundary-less classroom:
Extending social innovation and impact learning to the field.” Journal of
Small Business and Enterprise Development, 17, 652–663, 2010.
[8] Higgins, M., & Simpson, F., Work-based learning within planning
education: A good practice guide. London: University of Westminster
Press, 1997.
[9] McMullan, C. A., & Boberg, A. L., “The relative effectiveness of
projects in teaching entrepreneurship”. Journal of Small Business and
Entrepreneurship, 9, 14–24, 1991.
[10] Munro, J., “The small enterprise as the authentic learning environment
[11] Hopkinson, G. & Hogg M., “Teachingand Learning about Qualitative
Research.” Journal of Further and Higher Education, 2004.
[12] http://www.statista.com/statistics/195274/share-of-us-hand-and-bodylotion-
sales-in-2012-and-2013-by-brand/
[13] https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/home/ Ehrmann, T., Art
Martket Trends. Artprice Inc. 2009.
[14] http://www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome_mjx.shtml
[15] http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2010/04/13/american-indian-is-in/
[16] http://www.statista.com/statistics/271981/percentage-of-earnings-fromt-
shirt-
[17] http://www.bls.gov/cex/2006/CrossTabs/agebyinc/xunder25.PDF, The
US Department of Labor
[18] http://unwto.org/
[19] travellaw.com/node/341/
[20] www.aianta.org/
[21] Weaver, David,” Overnight Eco-tourism Market Segmentation in the
Gold Coast Hinterland of Australia”. Journal of Travel Research ,40.
2002.
[22] http://www.rvia.org/Content/NavigationMenu/MarketDataTrends/RVO
wnershipTrends/default.htm New U-Michigan Study: RV Ownership
Reaches All-Time High.” 16 Feb. 2007.
[23] http://www.KOA.com. Kamping Trends, KOA. 2006.
[24] www.deq.mt.gov › Water Quality Information
[25] Slavin, R., “Cooperative learning.” Review of Educational Research,
1980.
[26] Bonwell, C., and Eison, J, “Active Learning: creating excitement in the
class room.” ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report. 1991.
[27] Hakeem, S., “Effect of experiential learning in business Statistics.”
Journal of Education for Business, 2001.
[28] Titus, P. & Petroshius S., “Bringing consumer behavior to the
workbench.” Journal of Marketing Education, 1993.
[29] Chang, J., Benamraoui, A., & Rieple, A., “Learning-by-doing as an
approach to teaching social entrepreneurship.” Innovations in Education
and Teaching International, 51, 5, 459-471, April 2013