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1 – 10 of over 2000
Article
Publication date: 4 November 2014

Marina Solesvik, Paul Westhead and Harry Matlay

Universities provide entrepreneurship-specific education (ESE) to equip students with the skills required to pursue entrepreneurial careers in new firms and innovative private and…

5183

Abstract

Purpose

Universities provide entrepreneurship-specific education (ESE) to equip students with the skills required to pursue entrepreneurial careers in new firms and innovative private and public sector organizations. Building upon insights from entrepreneurial event theory, cultural values theory and human capital theory, the purpose of this paper is to explore the linkage between perceived local cultural environment, ESE investment and the intensity of entrepreneurial intention with regard to becoming an entrepreneur.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey information from 321 students from three universities in the Ukraine was hand collected. Hierarchical multiple ordinary least squares regression analysis and slope analysis were used to test presented hypotheses.

Findings

Analysis revealed that students who cited a perceived desirability and perceived feasibility for entrepreneurship, initiative taking culture and participation in ESE reported significantly higher intensity of entrepreneurial intention. Conversely, students who cited the capability beliefs culture factor reported significantly lower intensity of intention. ESE interactions with perceived cultural factors as well as perceived desirability and perceived feasibility for entrepreneurship were not significantly associated with higher intensity of entrepreneurial intention.

Research limitations/implications

This study was limited to three universities in the Ukraine and university students who followed business or engineering courses. The generalizability of the findings might be limited to this context. Additional quantitative and qualitative research is warranted to explore the external validity of presented findings with regard to other countries, universities and courses.

Practical implications

Practitioners in transition economies are seeking to increase the rate of new firms formation in order to encourage economic development and to reduce social and regional inequality, but they also want existing organizations to grow utilizing the skills and capabilities of talented graduates with transferable skills. This study has confirmed that it is unrealistic to assume that ESE alone can alleviate cultural barriers to an entrepreneurial intention. The authors detected that participation in ESE was associated with higher entrepreneurial intention, but failed to highlight the specific entrepreneurial skills and capabilities associated with a higher entrepreneurial intention.

Originality/value

The authors extend the conceptual base by exploring novel hypotheses relating to the assumed direct role ESE plays in promoting a higher intensity of entrepreneurial intention in a transition context. Notably, the authors propose that ESE will moderate the relationships between the cultural factors perceived by students and their reported intensity of entrepreneurial intention. The authors suggest that ESE can raise awareness of positive cultural values that stimulate an entrepreneurial intention. In addition, the authors suggest that ESE can foster the accumulation and mobilization of skills, capabilities and knowledge required to circumvent attitudinal and resource barriers to enterprise.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 56 no. 8/9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 10 March 2023

Wali Rehman, Abdelwahed Yosra, Muhammad Sualeh Khattak and Goher Fatima

This paper aims to examine the effects of perceived desirability for entrepreneurship (PDE) and perceived self-efficacy (PSE) on the entrepreneurial intentions (EI) of business…

1516

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the effects of perceived desirability for entrepreneurship (PDE) and perceived self-efficacy (PSE) on the entrepreneurial intentions (EI) of business students, with the moderation effect of entrepreneurial knowledge (EK) in the context of the theory of planned behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

We used a self-administered survey of 200 students registered in the business schools of Pakistani universities. The causal association between the variables was estimated through SmartPLS by using hierarchal linear modelling.

Findings

The study findings indicate that PDE and PSE significantly influence EIs. Furthermore, EK significantly strengthens the nexus between PDE and EIs and between PSE and EIs. Those students who had already acquired self-efficacy and exhibited desirability for the business venture were more inclined towards entrepreneurship if they had acquired some EK and vice versa.

Research limitations/implications

This study reveals that a model of EIs is needed to configure the students’ goals and motivations. Also, using new education programmes will help students acquire new knowledge for business startups. Further implications are also discussed.

Originality/value

This research fills a gap by using the moderating role of EK on the nexus between PDE, PSE and EIs, which has remained untouched in the educational sector.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, vol. 17 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2071-1395

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 October 2009

Christina W.M. Yu and Thomas W.Y. Man

This paper is an empirical study which aims to investigate the development of social interaction and their impacts on developing learners' entrepreneurial characteristics…

1315

Abstract

Purpose

This paper is an empirical study which aims to investigate the development of social interaction and their impacts on developing learners' entrepreneurial characteristics throughout their participation in an authentic enterprise activity.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample of this study was drawn from the participants of an enterprise activity called the Teen Entrepreneurs Competition for the high school students in Hong Kong. With the use of a mixed approach involving both qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection and analysis, the development and impacts of social interaction of the participants were investigated during their venturing process in the competition.

Findings

The findings showed that the participants' entrepreneurial characteristics would be developed and enhanced through the four key types of social interaction, including the interaction with team members, instructors, schoolteachers and business stakeholders. However, the impact of social interaction was more direct on the development of task‐oriented entrepreneurial characteristics, but less direct on the conceptual‐oriented entrepreneurial characteristics.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides useful insights into making a good use of social interaction in authentic enterprise education activities. Further studies can be conducted on studying the change in attitude towards entrepreneurship and the impacts of such change on the developing of entrepreneurial characteristics through social interaction in enterprise education.

Practical implications

It is recommended that enterprise programmes and activities should be maximised with participants' social interaction opportunities particularly with business practitioners and opportunities provided for participants to reflect on their social interaction from time to time in order to achieve better learning outcomes.

Originality/value

The results complement the existing literature on enterprise education by extending the current focus on the experiential aspect towards the interactive aspect during the learning process.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 21 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 September 2012

Marina Dabic, Tugrul Daim, Elvan Bayraktaroglu, Ivan Novak and Maja Basic

The purpose of this paper is to understand gender differences in entrepreneurial intentions as measured by perceived feasibility and perceived desirability, and to explore gender…

3301

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand gender differences in entrepreneurial intentions as measured by perceived feasibility and perceived desirability, and to explore gender differences in perceptions of entrepreneurship education needs – in terms of programmes, activities or projects – to succeed in an entrepreneurial career from the university student's point of view.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data gathered from 3,420 university students in more than ten countries, and applying the Mann‐Whitney non‐parametric test, differences between genders and different intention groups were examined. To reduce the items regarding educational needs, factor analysis was used. Gender differences in educational needs were also examined via Mann‐Whitney Test.

Findings

The results confirm that compared to males, female students are less willing to start their own businesses. There are significant gender differences in terms of perceived feasibility and perceived desirability such that although they feel more supported by their families, females are less self‐confident, more tense, reluctant and concerned about entrepreneurship. In terms of entrepreneurial intention, there are fewer gender differences among students; however, differences relating to self‐confidence and family support still exist. Furthermore, students cited establishing entrepreneurial mentoring and an appropriate tutoring structure as the most needed entrepreneurial educational activity/program/project at an academic institution; this was rated higher by females compared to males.

Practical implications

The findings of this paper could help guide educators and policy makers in designing effective entrepreneurship programmes that are customized to respond to gender specific needs to increase entrepreneurial participation.

Originality/value

This study reveals the gender differences in perceived desirability and perceived feasibility which impact entrepreneurial intentions. Gender differences in the entrepreneurial programmes/activities/projects required at an academic institution to promote entrepreneurial participation among university students is also explored.

Details

International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, vol. 4 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-6266

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 July 2023

Albena Pergelova, Fernando Angulo-Ruiz, Tatiana S. Manolova and Desislava Yordanova

This study aims to examine how entrepreneurship education influences intentions for starting a technology venture among science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine how entrepreneurship education influences intentions for starting a technology venture among science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students with particular attention to gender differences. This study builds on the model of entrepreneurial event and social role theory to assess the impact of entrepreneurship education on feasibility, desirability and intentions for technology entrepreneurship.

Design/methodology/approach

The hypotheses are tested with a sample of 879 Bulgarian science and engineering students from 15 universities. To test the models, this study uses ordinary least squares and logistic regressions with robust standard errors and Hayes mediation analysis with bootstrap bias-corrected confidence interval estimations for indirect effects. Two-stage Heckman regressions to control for sample selection bias and other robustness checks including propensity score matching were used.

Findings

Results show that entrepreneurship education, measured as participation in an entrepreneurship course, has a stronger impact on feasibility, desirability and intentions for technology entrepreneurship for female STEM students compared to their male counterparts. As such, this study supports the notion that entrepreneurship education could be part of a solution to counteract societal norms that position technology entrepreneurship as a less desirable and/or less feasible choice for women in STEM. However, attention should be paid to the operationalization of entrepreneurship education, as other measures of entrepreneurship education (role models, entrepreneurship education support) did not have a moderation effect with gender.

Research limitations/implications

The authors assume a positive correlation between entrepreneurial intentions and entrepreneurial behavior. Future studies should include actual entrepreneurial behavior to paint a more complete picture of the effect of entrepreneurship education.

Originality/value

Little is known about the role of entrepreneurship education in the field of technology entrepreneurship, and even less about the potential gender differences in entrepreneurship education among STEM students. The study contributes to the literature by examining factors that could help close the persistent gender gap in technology entrepreneurship.

Details

International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-6266

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 August 2023

João M. Lopes, Sofia Gomes and Cláudia Dias

This study aims to understand how perceived desirability and perceived feasibility influence Portuguese higher education students' social entrepreneurial intention and general…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to understand how perceived desirability and perceived feasibility influence Portuguese higher education students' social entrepreneurial intention and general entrepreneurial intention and explore how gender attitudes can affect these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

This study's sample comprises 391 participants. The hypotheses formulated in the research model were tested through structural equation modelling, using the bootstrapping method to perform decomposition tests and multigroup analyses to assess the effect of gender on perceived desirability, perceived feasibility and social and general entrepreneurial intention.

Findings

The sample data reveal that women have a greater social entrepreneurial intention, and men have a greater general entrepreneurial intention. The results regarding the research model reveal that perceived desirability positively influences social and general entrepreneurial intention, with stronger relationships for men than for women. However, perceived feasibility positively influences overall entrepreneurial intention but is insignificant in explaining social entrepreneurial intention. When the differences between genders are analysed, the perceived feasibility by women is significant and positively influences the social entrepreneurial intention, not being significant when men are considered. Contrary to previous studies about higher education students, men have a higher perceived desirability in both general and social entrepreneurial intentions, while women have a stronger perceived feasibility in both general and social entrepreneurial intentions.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the development of the social entrepreneurship literature, demonstrating that social entrepreneurial intention can be influenced by gender. The results show the importance of considering the spatial and organisational context in examining the relationships between perceived desirability/perceived feasibility and social entrepreneurial intentions of men and women.

Details

International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, vol. 16 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-6266

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 28 August 2020

Charlott Menke

Research has found that stereotypes affect occupational choices, but there has been almost no research on how they specifically affect the choice of becoming an entrepreneur. This…

Abstract

Research has found that stereotypes affect occupational choices, but there has been almost no research on how they specifically affect the choice of becoming an entrepreneur. This study bridges different fields of research by combining theories on entrepreneurial intent, self-esteem, and stereotypes. The author argues that in situations of insufficient information individuals assess prospective careers in commercial and social entrepreneurship by means of stereotypes, and the author is the first to explore the influence of commercial and social entrepreneurial stereotypes on an individual’s intention to start a commercial (for-profit) or social (not for-profit) venture. The author uses the framework outlined by the stereotype content model to disclose the existence of distinct stereotypes for commercial and social entrepreneurs exist and, thereafter, the author analyzes the influences of both entrepreneurial stereotypes on the specific startup intentions. The author test the hypotheses with unique survey data from a sample of German non-entrepreneurs which reveals that commercial entrepreneurs are seen as competent but cold, whereas social entrepreneurs are regarded as warm but incompetent. Using structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis, the data implies that higher levels of perceived warmth and competence of commercial entrepreneurs have a positive indirect effect on commercial startup intentions. No such effect was found for social startup intentions; however, the results indicate that a higher societal status of social entrepreneurs exerts a positive indirect impact on the intention to start a social business. The author discusses the practical implications of our approach and point out avenues for future research.

Details

The Entrepreneurial Behaviour: Unveiling the cognitive and emotional aspect of entrepreneurship
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78973-508-6

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 December 2017

Anna Maija Vuorio, Kaisu Puumalainen and Katharina Fellnhofer

The role of entrepreneurship has changed to include issues beyond economic growth. This has turned attention toward the drivers of entrepreneurial intentions across…

11610

Abstract

Purpose

The role of entrepreneurship has changed to include issues beyond economic growth. This has turned attention toward the drivers of entrepreneurial intentions across entrepreneurship types, particularly in sustainable entrepreneurship. The purpose of this paper is to examine the drivers of entrepreneurial intentions in sustainable entrepreneurship. In particular, the paper aims to extend the existing intention models to include work values and attitudes toward sustainability, thereby bringing the model into the context of sustainable entrepreneurship.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a quantitative research design, data were collected in three European countries through anonymous questionnaires. The data consist of responses from 393 university students.

Findings

The results show that attitude toward sustainability and perceived entrepreneurial desirability enhance sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial intentions. Moreover, adding sustainability into the regression equation adds explanation power, hence suggesting that the theory of planned behavior needs to be adapted when applied to sustainable entrepreneurship. Attitudes toward sustainability are positively impacted by altruism, while perceived entrepreneurial desirability is driven by intrinsic and extrinsic rewards.

Research limitations/implications

The study focuses on one particular type of entrepreneurship and one particular age group.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by applying the entrepreneurial intention model to sustainable entrepreneurship. The results imply that it may be the time to consider the variance in entrepreneurial opportunities in intention models as well as the need to address the conflict between work values. The results show that sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial intentions are driven by attitudes toward sustainability and perceived entrepreneurial desirability. These two attitudes are driven by altruism and extrinsic rewards, and, especially, extrinsic reward plays an opposite role in both drivers of sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial intentions.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 24 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2015

Boris Urban and Fenosoa A Ratsimanetrimanana

This paper aims to delve deeper into understanding to what extent does culture influence entrepreneurship by connecting the causal chain from cultural values to perceived

1879

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to delve deeper into understanding to what extent does culture influence entrepreneurship by connecting the causal chain from cultural values to perceived desirability to entrepreneurial intention (EI). Cultural values form a central part of entrepreneurial discourse and have accordingly been the subject of several studies relating to EIs.

Design/methodology/approach

The study takes place in an under-researched country, Madagascar, where instead of focussing on national culture a more nuanced approach is taken by studying several fine-grained groupings of culture at the ethnic level. Based on a survey, 2,220 responses are statistically analysed according to the three main ethnic groups in Madagascar.

Findings

In terms of hypotheses testing, findings show that cultural dimensions influence the relationship between perceived desirability and EI only for the highlander ethnic group. Differences between the ethnic groups are also observed in terms of the indulgence-restraint cultural dimension.

Practical implications

When encouraging entrepreneurship in Madagascar policymakers should take cognisance of the complexity of cultural factors among ethnic groups and the interrelationship between perceived desirability and intentions.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies to measure cultural values in Madagascar and include the indulgence-restraint cultural dimension. The study takes place in a multicultural, non-Western and predominantly necessity-based entrepreneurship context, where understanding the role that culture plays in shaping intentions can prove to be valuable.

Details

Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, vol. 7 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2053-4604

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 June 2021

Wassim J. Aloulou

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of how a country’s institutional environment is impacting the young community’s entrepreneurial intention…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of how a country’s institutional environment is impacting the young community’s entrepreneurial intention through perceived desirability and feasibility as mediators.

Design/methodology/approach

This research applies and validates a measure of a country’s institutional profile for entrepreneurship to Saudi university students. This research develops a structural model to investigate the young community’s perceptions about their institutional context, desirability and feasibility and their influence on entrepreneurial intentions. Data was collected from 287 Saudi young communities (university students) from several public universities located in Riyadh. Structural equation modeling analysis was applied to examine the structural model of entrepreneurial intentions.

Findings

Research findings revealed positive and significant relationships between institutional context dimensions and young community students’ perceived desirability and feasibility and between students’ perceived desirability and feasibility and their entrepreneurial intentions. Their perceived desirability and feasibility were shown to have positive full mediation effects on the relationships between institutional environment dimensions and entrepreneurial intention.

Research limitations/implications

Research Implications are advanced to help researchers and practitioners in considering the institutional environment for promoting entrepreneurship. Limitations and future research directions are discussed for better generalization of findings and renewed streams of research in the field.

Originality/value

To the best knowledge of the author, this research is one of the first studies to apply the scale on the institutional country profile to Saudi Arabia with a young community. Studies linking institutional profile to entrepreneurial intentions were also limited in developing countries having a young population. This might catch the attention of researchers, educators and policy-makers.

Details

Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, vol. 16 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6204

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 2000