Test & Validation in the making
After finishing the development of the training and the GENIE board and online game all project partners are now starting to deliver the training and game in the validation activities to involve at least 150 beneficiaries until October 2023. The target group of the test & validation are microentrepreneurs, leaders of micro and small enterprises as well as their employees. The aim of the test & validation phase within the GENIE project is to ensure the quality, reliability, and correctness of the training and the game. It is a crucial step in the development lifecycle that involves verifying that the product meets the specified requirements and performs as expected. The primary goals of the testing and validation include: Detecting defects as it helps Ensuring functionality Verifying reliability Enhancing quality Validating user expectations Compliance and standards Risk mitigation Ultimately, the aim of testing and validation is to deliver a reliable, high-quality product or system that meets the needs and expectations of its users while minimizing risks and ensuring compliance with relevant standards. This is the real-operational environment testing of the results aimed at collecting feedback from users on content, delivery means, depth and relevance of the modules, user friendliness of the boardgame, functionalities of the OER Platform, etc. Users who are interested in the training and the online game can access the platform without login requirements: https://genieproject.eu/training.php?lang=EN. At completion of the course, they can use a feedback form to provide information on the user friendliness of the training course. Upon completing the training course and the quiz at the end they can also prompt the OER Platform to develop an attendance certificate.
GENIE Project Empower Intrapreneurship with the Innovative Training Toolbox and Successful 3rd TPM in Brussels
On January 23rd, 2023, IHF asbl hosted the 3rd Transnational Project Meeting (TPM) of the GENIE project in Brussels (Belgium). GENIE, short for Gamification & Education to Nurture Intrapreneurship at Enterprise, is an EU co-funded Erasmus+ that brings together seven organisations from six countries (Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden). This project is driven by the integration of gamification and intrapreneurship to develop advanced VET solutions supporting the competitiveness of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Its primary objective is to contribute to the growth, innovation, and competitiveness of these enterprises through the creation of innovative training tools, solutions, and content. The 3rd TPM provided an invaluable opportunity to review the project’s progress, particularly the development of training modules and the boardgame, and to outline the upcoming steps for the project’s final implementation phase. An important milestone achieved by the consortium is the introduction of an innovative training toolbox, which includes comprehensive training modules and a captivating boardgame designed to empower intrapreneurship within enterprises, with a particular focus on MSMEs. Available in six languages (DE, EN, ES, HR, IT, SE), the toolbox can be accessed through the following links: • Training: www.genieproject.eu/training • Game: www.genieproject.eu/game The training modules consist of courses and related case studies, addressing various aspects, including: • Digital intrapreneurship: prospects and challenges • ICT tools for intrapreneurship • Personal development and intrapreneurship: growing self-awareness and mindfulness • Intra-organisational communication and team management • Intrapreneurship hope, hype and reality: Discovering intrapreneurs within organisation • Striking the balance: Resource and time management within intrapreneurial MSMEs • Pitching to your boss: Idea presentation and support gathering • Innovation management in intrapreneurial organisations • Making things happen 1: A user guide list of triggers to nurture, evaluate and reward entrepreneurial attitudes and sense of initiative • Making things happen 2: Intrapreneurial attitude, conflict and change management within MSMEs • A user guide introduction to the AARRR! Funnel Inspired by gamification principles, the GENIE partnership has developed an engaging game as a complementary component to the training modules, providing an interactive tool to test and reinforce acquired knowledge. The GENIE game, showed below, aims to showcase the value of intrapreneurship in an entertaining manner, highlighting how it enhances innovation and competitiveness within companies and among their employees. Through active and responsible participation, employees can improve processes and collectively achieve defined goals. To explore the GENIE project's training modules, case studies, and experience the elements of the GENIE game, along with its rules, please visit the official project website: www.genieproject.eu
GENIE Multiplier Event presented in Málaga: A workshop on useful resources for enhancing intrapreneurship
Within the framework of the GENIE project (Gamification & Education to Nurture Intrapreneurship at Enterprise), co-funded by the Erasmus+ Commission, Internet Web Solutions, together with its associated partner Arrabal-Aid, hosted the Workshop on useful resources for enhancing intrapreneurship on May 3, 2023. This session served to explore how to promote intrapreneurship in European companies through training modules, case studies, and digital tools. The associated partner Arrabal is highly regarded in Málaga for its training and employability policies, to the extent that many of its locations are provided by the Málaga City Council. The project, along with its objectives, implementation methodology, and the collaborative partnership involved, was thoroughly presented. Specifically, the four Intellectual Outputs (IO) and the resources already available on the multilingual OER platform at https://genieproject.eu/ were presented: IO1: OER platform for intrapreneurs and SMEs, serving as a repository for all project outcomes. IO2: Final report of the innovative GENIE model for intrapreneurship in micro, small, and medium enterprises (SMEs) titled "Intrapreneurship in Microenterprise: The GENIE Model & Innovative Pedagogies." IO3: GENIE Innovative Training and Gamification: GENIE Training program to foster intrapreneurship in companies, comprising 11 training courses and 11 case studies in 6 languages (English, Croatian, Spanish, Italian, German and Swedish). GENIE Game, which is a game designed for employees and managers of SMEs to showcase the value of entrepreneurship in an enjoyable manner, enhancing innovation and competitiveness for both companies and their employees. IO4: GENIE Adoption Suite (currently under development), which will provide guidelines for users in micro-enterprises and the VET system for adopting, adapting, and implementing GENIE training and the board game. The Multiplier event brought together 20 participants representing the target groups, who were impressed by the practical and innovative content of the project. Arrabal technicians, who work in local business and training ecosystems, were also present. The functionality of the platform was presented through practical demonstrations, as well as the training available, providing users with a comprehensive knowledge of the content and tools developed for the GENIE project. Digital materials and the online board game were showcased, and feedback and impressions were collected during a final brainstorming session.
Research and Analytical Activities Completed
The result of the research and analytical activities of the partners of the GENIE project is the innovative GENIE model of intrapreneurship, which is now available on the GENIE platform (https://genieproject.eu/assessment.php). GENIE platform also offers information on project aims, activities and results. The innovative GENIE Model of Intrapreneurship in micro/small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) summarises mechanisms for MSMEs to implement intrapreneurship involving and engaging staff and management to develop new ideas, business and management processes, products and services. The aim of the model is to identify different concepts of intrapreneurship and to answer how an intrapreneurship culture can be established in companies. The model is prepared by project team (seven partners from six countries: Germany, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Croatia and Spain) and outlines mechanisms for MSMEs to implement intrapreneurship by engaging staff and management to develop new ideas, business and management processes, products and services - all to sustain MSMEs’ innovation, competitiveness and growth. The model is based on the following elements: Concepts of Intrapreneurship European context Intrapreneurship in academic literature Intrapreneurship drivers and inhibitors Management models of intrapreneurship Intrapreneurship policy framework Intrapreneurship best practices/lessons learned/case studies from large corporations The digital dimension of intrapreneurship According to this model, intrapreneurship is argued as an emerging phenomenon fitting the new paradigm and value shift that many companies have started developing since the beginning the last decade. An intrapreneurship is nurtured by following environmental and cultural triggers: Encourage proactive thinking, sense of initiative and co-participation to decision making Support employees’ development of trans-functional skills which are instrumental in strengthening their new status – and related attitudes Contribute to the emergence of a business environment that gives the chance to create productive and effective business relationships Allow dissenting opinions to be expressed and disclosed – upon critical, rational and motivated assumptions Establish cross-functional and cross-hierarchal feedback systems for mutual commitment and value proposition
Gamification and Education to Nurture Intrapreneurship at Enterprise: GENIE platform launched
The GENIE platform, which offers information on project aims, activities and results, is now online (https://genieproject.eu/). The platform will contain all the project’s information, deliverables and outputs. GENIE seeks to offer significative solutions for the implementation of intrapreneurship at enterprise by using gamification and education, which have the clear objective of contributing to the competitiveness, growth and innovation of MSMEs. This will in turn crystallise into the development of an innovative set of training tools, such as the delivery of the GENIE boardgame. This user-friendly Platform has been developed by the Spanish partner of the consortium, IWS (Internet Web Solutions), and will be constantly updated by the partnership as a whole during the project implementation. The platform is available in six languages (English, Spanish, Swedish, German, Croatian and Italian) and consists of the following parts, optimised for different devices and browsers: HOME: the section introduces users to the GENIE platform by highlighting: • The GENIE Model • Training • Suite & Decalogue PROJECT: serves as a project manifesto, including information on background, mission statement and how GENIE pursues bringing together international actors related to the VET sphere in order to materialise a product that incorporate multifaceted solutions. PARTNERS: describes the Partners involved in the project. MODEL: this section will display the GENIE model, which builds on concepts of intrapreneurship, best practices/case studies, comparison between MSMEs and large corporations and benchmarking with diverse EU Frameworks. TRAINING: includes training in the form of mini-courses and operational tools in a free, multilingual modality. SUITE & DECALOGUE: completes the picture for the GENIE project, including guidelines and operational documents for the development of intrapreneurship for EU microenterprises. COMMUNITY: to involve as many Associated Partners as possible and spread the word about GENIE to users, targets, general public and ultimate beneficiaries. NEWS: to be up to date with GENIE latest developments. IWS will be the technological partner, in charge of the creation of the platform, its maintenance, adaptation and functioning, and will also contribute to the implementation of all project steps and phases. GENIE is managed by seven partners from six countries, i.e., Germany, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Croatia and Spain, and is co-financed by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission.
Innovative project to make the topic of intrapreneurship applicable to small and micro-enterprises- the GENIE project has been approved.
In November 2021, the Nationale Agentur Bildung für Europa beim Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (Erasmus+ National Agency in Germany) communicated the approval of the proposal GENIE – Gamification & Education to Nurture Intrapreneurship at Enterprise within the framework of the KA2 Cooperation for Innovation and the Exchange of Best Practices – Strategic Partnerships for Adult Education. The European Commission clearly calls for companies to become more innovative and dynamic. Often there are the employees in the companies who have few opportunities to commit themselves with entrepreneurial thinking to the company. Especially in the small and micro-companies, there is a lack of instruments and concepts to involve employees more in the business process. Intrapreneurship – the entrepreneurial behavior of employees in the company - strengthens the flexibility of the companies and promotes responsibility and freedom for the employees. The aim of GENIE is to develop training courses and tools to promote and anchor intrapreneurship in these companies. In this context, the partners will carry out a number of clearly defined activities that will lead to the achievement of tangible and operational results, such as: Analysis of existing instruments in the partner countries Development of GENIE tools for the development and implementation of intrapreneurship Development of a board game on the topic Test phase of the board game GENIE results will be practical and relevant solutions for micro and small enterprises, available in multilingual versions, free of charge and without restrictions via the OER platform. GENIE is co-funded by the European Commission's Erasmus Plus program and lasts 24 months between January 2022 and December 2023. The project was submitted and is carried out by seven organizations from six European countries (Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden).