An entrepreneurial‐directed approach to entrepreneurship education: mission impossible?

University innovation and start-ups: Barriers and facilitators experienced by nursing faculties - A content analysis study

AIM

University start-ups have gained significant popularity as a means of translating knowledge and research into practical applications. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the experiences and perspectives of nursing faculties engaged in start-up ventures. The objective of this study was to explore valuable insights into the barriers and facilitators within this context for promoting success, generating entrepreneurial attitudes, as well as enhancing the sustainability of nursing faculty-led start-ups.

DESIGN

We employed a content analysis methodology to capture the real-life experiences of nursing faculties involved in university start-ups. This approach is an effective way to gain a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

METHODS

Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Graneheim and Lundman's step was used for analysis and to identify recurring patterns and themes within the collected data. Sampling was done purposefully, with convenience and snowball techniques until data saturation. The MAXQDA version 10 software was utilised to easily analyse, code and present data.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed four major themes encompassed: motivational factors, personal attributes, limited entry support and barriers to scaling. These themes shed light on factors, support systems, challenges faced during growth as well as personal characteristics highlighted by the participants. Our study highlighted the factors influencing entrepreneurship in nursing faculties. Addressing the challenges of this study requires enhancing support systems and fostering personal development for entrepreneurial success in healthcare innovation. Policymakers can promote university education to expand the entrepreneurship process using more facilities and make more services accessible.

The impact of online design thinking-based learning on entrepreneurial intention: the case of vocational college

Entrepreneurial intention is fundamental to decision-making and the behaviors needed to become entrepreneurs, with subsequent effects on economic development. However, the COVID-19 pandemic calls for a novel approach to teaching entrepreneurship owing to the shift to online learning. The current study explores entrepreneurial intention and the satisfaction derived from the entrepreneurship education program. In particular, we offer a framework that explains students' satisfaction and entrepreneurial intention by integrating the theory of planned behavior with design thinking-based entrepreneurship courses, peer interactions, and speaker interactions. The entrepreneurship education program was for vocational college students located in Southeast Asia. The online questionnaire was distributed to participants (N = 263, MAGE = 18.64) at the end of the online entrepreneurship education program. The model was tested using a structural equation model analysis. Attitude, subject norm, and satisfaction were found to predict higher entrepreneurial intention among vocational college students. Moreover, design thinking-based entrepreneurship courses, peer interaction, and speaker interaction indirectly affect entrepreneurial intention through satisfaction. This research extends the literature on entrepreneurship education by proposing a novel learning approach, that is, the online design thinking-based learning approach, which could be applied to entrepreneurship education programs to enhance students' entrepreneurial intention.

Entrepreneurship or Employment? A Survey of College Students’ Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intentions

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the global job market, with increasing unemployment rates leading to an unstable social situation that has affected college students’ job prospects. This situation has drawn the attention of the Chinese government and universities to the promotion of entrepreneurship. The present study used field theory to analyze the entrepreneurial intentions of 4926 college students in Hangzhou, an emerging global digital city. It was found that college students who had received entrepreneurship education were more likely to insist on entrepreneurship, while the native environmental field had a significant positive effect on students’ sustainable entrepreneurial intention (SEI). These findings provide a good reference for universities to promote entrepreneurial intentions among college students and provide advice on the construction of entrepreneurship education fields.

Entrepreneurship Education: The Effects of Challenge-Based Learning on the Entrepreneurial Mindset of University Students

The aim of this paper is to investigate the implications of Challenge-Based Learning programs on entrepreneurial skills, and on the mindset and intentions of university students, through a quantitative approach. Resorting to an original database, we analyzed the pre- and post-levels of entrepreneurial skills, mindset and intention of 127 students who attended a Challenge-Based Learning program. Results show a positive and significant effect of Challenge-Based Learning programs on the entrepreneurial mindset and skills—that is, financial literacy, creativity, and planning—of the students.

EFFECTIVENESS OF TYPOLOGY AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN DEVELOPING ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCIES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

The introduction of entrepreneurship course as a core module in higher education institutions (HEIs) under the Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB) 2015–2025 has not increased entrepreneurship initiatives. This is partly attributed to ineffective implementation of entrepreneurship skills in the HEI curriculum. Although attempts were made to delineate the central phenomena of entrepreneurship learning to develop entrepreneurial competencies and intention, there was no consistent outcome. This comparative study used empirical data to investigate the contribution of multidisciplinary learning environment and the use of “Through” methodology as an entrepreneurial education pedagogy to develop entrepreneurial competencies and intention among students. A two-phase stratified single-stage cluster sampling approach was adopted that involved stratifying the entire population of 260 second-year degree students into learning environment strata and partitioning the strata into mutually exclusive entrepreneurial education pedagogy clusters. Data was collected from every single subject within the clusters. Descriptive analytical statistics was used in gauging the effectiveness of the research learning environment and typology pedagogy. The findings revealed that even though entrepreneurial intention remains a challenge, multidisciplinary learning environment that involves students from different disciplinary programs doing entrepreneurial ventures such as experiential learning and taking calculated business risks are most effective in inculcating entrepreneurial competencies. This study has shown that having the appropriate learning environment and typology pedagogy, including consideration of the psychological appeal of students are essential in nurturing entrepreneurial competencies among students. The outcome of this study provides a better understanding for both, HEI academicians and the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) in making entrepreneurship learning more relevant to produce students with entrepreneurial competencies.

Youth entrepreneurial intentions: an integrated model of individual and contextual factors

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify factors instrumental in developing entrepreneurial intentions among youth. Although, numerous studies have been conducted focusing on entrepreneurship intention, however, this study attempts to provide an integrated model by means of analyzing the impact of internal (personal) and external (environmental) factors in developing entrepreneurial intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-sectional study is based on primary and secondary data. A sample of 358 respondents belonging to the age group of 21–25 years from various universities and colleges in Kashmir participated in the study. Primary data collection was done using self-administered questionnaires. A purposive sampling approach was used to identify respondents for the current study. Structural equation modeling has been used for testing hypotheses besides other statistical methods and techniques.

Findings

The study identifies three important antecedents of entrepreneurship intentions, namely, personal competencies, contextual factors and entrepreneurial exposure and tests the relationships using path analysis. It further suggests that there exists a significant relationship between personal competencies, entrepreneurial exposure, contextual elements and entrepreneurial intention.

Originality/value

The paper presents an integrated and comprehensive model of entrepreneurial intentions discussing important antecedents instrumental in developing entrepreneurship intentions among youth considering both personal and environmental factors. It is, therefore, an important contribution toward entrepreneurship literature and of interest to different policymakers and institutions related to entrepreneurship.

A Preliminary Exploration of Factors Affecting a University Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

This study examines the factors that affect the formation and operation of the university entrepreneurship ecosystem (UEE). Employing the case-study methodology, this research attempts to provide an evidence-based analysis of the existing theoretical framework of the UEE and verify the role of elements in it through empirical experience as described in semi-structured interviews with 33 respondents on and off an American university. Findings reveal that extracurricular activities, networks, entrepreneurial culture, and leadership have an important impact on the formation and operation of the UEE. Specifically, compared with formal courses, as important carriers, extracurricular activities have a more positive impact on the entrepreneurship of students. Different levels of networks can promote the circulation and exchange of resources. Culture is an important factor in forming and promoting individual entrepreneurial behavior and their agglomeration in the UEE. Clear vision and long-term commitments to entrepreneurship, namely leadership, play a leading role in the formation and development of a UEE.

Never Too Late to Learn: How Education Helps Female Entrepreneurs at Overcoming Barriers in the Digital Economy

The study of Entrepreneurship Framework Conditions (EFC) has found that training and education have, among other things, a positive effect on overcoming barriers when starting your own firm. Our research can be placed in this line, but with an added specificity, since it is focused firstly on women and secondly on the digital economy. Thus, we have studied the situation of women entrepreneurs in the digital economy in Spain, asking them about their personal traits, the characteristics of their ventures and the barriers they encountered. We have studied the effect of EFCs on overcoming barriers to entrepreneurship, with a special focus on training and entrepreneurship education. In addition, the effect of self-efficacy perception (the conviction of having the necessary skills to start a business) on overcoming barriers to entrepreneurship has been factored in. After the implementation of a Structural Equation Model (SEM), we show that training helps female entrepreneurs in the digital economy to overcome barriers to entrepreneurship, especially after the mediation of their self-efficacy perception, which is increased by specific entrepreneurial training. We can conclude that policy recommendations to counteract the gender gap in entrepreneurship with specific training should be promoted, specifically in such a strategic sector as the digital economy.

Intergenerational Entrepreneurship to Foster Sustainable Development: A Methodological Training Proposal

Intergenerational entrepreneurial initiatives are aimed at addressing the needs and opportunities of certain social groups and have the potential of becoming successful business projects. Moreover, they are a key to undertake sustainability practices that may represent a competitive advantage for the companies and an example to imitate when creating businesses. The objective of the study is to propose an intergenerational training methodology so that young people and seniors can create companies together, generating social cohesion and sustainable development in response to generational challenges. Intergenerational entrepreneurship seems to be a novel research area, especially when referring to developing methodologies of collaborative entrepreneurship projects. For this purpose, our literature review focuses on, first, the matching theories and experiences applied for intergenerational cooperation; then, literature about training methodologies for entrepreneurship is reviewed; finally, the main theories on training skills for entrepreneurship are approached. Focus groups were conducted as they serve as the main sources of data and are very appropriate for the generation of new ideas within a social context. In general, results show that, for achieving a successful intergenerational cooperation, some specific training is needed for both generations. This paper is a starting point for future research approaching intergenerational entrepreneurship, or entrepreneurial initiatives with singular characteristics, such as rural contexts or people with disabilities.

College Students’ Entrepreneurial Mindset: Educational Experiences Override Gender and Major

Entrepreneurship education has been popularly adopted in higher education contexts. Although evidence-based implementations of such education are widely acknowledged as beneficial, valid assessments of it are sparse. One possible outcome of entrepreneurship education is a change in students’ entrepreneurial mindset, which can be measured by the recently validated College Students’ Entrepreneurial Mindset Scale (CS-EMS). However, this scale awaits evidence regarding measurement invariance. This study aims to (1) examine measurement invariance of the CS-EMS; (2) compare the latent and observed means across groups based on gender, major, and educational experiences; and (3) investigate the conditional effects of the three grouping variables. Using data from 317 Korean college students’ survey responses, we conducted sequential tests of factorial invariance and latent mean comparisons using multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis. Additionally, the conditional effects of the gender, major, and educational experiences were tested by structural equation modeling. The results indicate that strict invariance held for the groups compared by either gender or educational experiences, while scalar invariance held between the engineering and non-engineering groups. While the male, engineering, and educational experience groups generally scored higher on both the latent and observed sub-scales, the results of the conditional effects of grouping variables indicated that educational experiences mattered most. One practical implication for the educators is that the CS-EMS is a promising assessment tool for addressing the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education, especially when the targeted educational goals are any of its sub-constructs.

Entrepreneurship Education with Companies: Teachers Organizing School-Company Interaction

Previous research into entrepreneurial learning has focused mainly on defining its aims; however, there seems to be little discussion on understanding the barriers or incentives involved when carrying out the pedagogical solutions that would enable entrepreneurial learning. In this study, we examine basic education level schools’ cooperation with outside partners, especially from the school principals’ and teachers’ viewpoints. The study aims to understand the perspectives of teachers and principals on planning and organizing school-company interaction. To do this, content analysis was used in this qualitative study. The data were collected via semi-structured interviews with school teachers and principals, involving a total of 35 people working in basic education. The findings of the study show that principals and teachers intentionally select long-term cooperation methods to meet the aims of entrepreneurial learning. On the other hand, teachers that have chosen to apply short-term school-company cooperation methods have highlighted the ease of these methods rather than learning. Finally, our findings suggest that planning and organizing entrepreneurial learning would benefit from school-level commitment where collaboration between teachers and between teachers and company representatives is valued. We believe that would lead to more satisfied teachers and longer-term school-company cooperation, and also believe that short-term school-company cooperation methods would better meet the aims of entrepreneurial learning.

Conceptualizing Inclusive Learning and Development: A Framework towards Entrepreneurial Competency Practices for Sustainability

This paper reviews the position of entrepreneurial competency practices for sustainability within the learning and development (L&D) narrative over the last three decades. In alignment with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, gaps within the context of entrepreneurial learning theories, learning delivery, and roles of interlocutors are addressed. The discourse unfolds the meaning and measurement attributes of entrepreneurial competencies, advocating for developing an inclusive framework within the entrepreneurial L&D space. Extant literature posits exclusivity in learning theories, learning delivery, and role of interlocutors as approaches to achieving Entrepreneurial Competencies (EC); however, scarcity in research adapting a dynamic and inclusive framework for amalgamating learning theories, learning delivery, and roles of interlocutors can impact entrepreneurial competency sustainability. This paper analyzes EC to achieve L&D sustainability, employing a mixed-method content analysis to develop a dynamic and inclusive framework encompassing learning theories, learning delivery, and roles of interlocutors. The paper concludes by establishing an Inclusive Framework of Entrepreneurial Competency Practices (IFECP) that bridges learning and development gaps, namely learning theories, learning delivery, and roles of interlocutors. The IFECP is aimed at assisting interlocutors and learners from nascent to mastery stages in ECs to embody the core values of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Entrepreneurship and Family Role: A Systematic Review of a Growing Research

In recent years, research on the family role and entrepreneurship has increased noticeably, consolidating itself as a valid and current subject of study. This paper presents a systematic analysis of academic research, applying bibliometric indicators, and cluster analysis, which define the state of research about the relationship between family role and entrepreneurship. For this purpose, using three well-accepted databases among the research community: Scopus, Web of Science, Business Source, a total of 92 articles were selected and analyzed, published between 1989 and 2019 (until March). A cluster analysis shows five main areas of literature development: (1) cultural dimension and geneder issue; (2) family business and succession; (3) parental role models and entrepreneurial intentions; (4) entrepreneurship and self-employment; (5) family support and women entrepreneurs. Findings also show how this is a relatively recent field of study, with a multidisciplinary character.

Examining the Impact of a Gamified Entrepreneurship Education Framework in Higher Education

Entrepreneurship education constitutes a top priority in policy agendas across the globe as a means to promote economic growth, fight unemployment and create social capital. An important premise of entrepreneurship education is that it can be learned and students can be taught to formulate entrepreneurial mentality, skills and competencies, something that can result in the formulation of startups and business initiatives. Given the importance of entrepreneurship, the necessity to formulate efficient entrepreneurship education frameworks and training programs arise. In this work, we present the design of an entrepreneurship educational environment that is based on learning in 3D virtual worlds. Innovative 3D virtual reality technologies were utilized to provide immersive and efficient learning activities. Various topics of entrepreneurship education courses were designed and formulated to offer students the opportunity to obtain theoretical knowledge of entrepreneurship. The 3D virtual reality educational environment utilizes pedagogical approaches that are based on gamification principles, allowing students to study in immersive ways as well as in game-based learning activities on real challenges that can be found in business environments. The game-based learning activities can help students gain necessary skills, helping them to tackle everyday obstacles on their entrepreneurial pathways. An experimental study was performed to explore the learning efficiency of the environment and the gamified learning activities as well as assess their learning impact on student’s motivation, attitude, and overall learning experience. The evaluation study revealed that the framework offers efficient gamified learning activities that increase students’ motivation and assist in the formulation of entrepreneurship mentality, skills and competencies.

Creativity, Proactive Personality, and Entrepreneurial Intention: The Role of Entrepreneurial Alertness

This study examines the extent to which entrepreneurial alertness mediates the effects of students’ proactive personalities and creativity on entrepreneurial intention. Drawing on a field survey of 735 Chinese undergraduates at 26 universities, this study provides evidence for the argument that entrepreneurial alertness has a fully mediation effect on the relationship between creativity, a proactive personality, and entrepreneurial intention. The findings shed light on the mechanisms that underpin entrepreneurial alertness and contribute to the literature on key elements of the entrepreneurial process.

Entrepreneurship education program as value creation

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of inputs and processes to the output of entrepreneurship education programs (EEPs) in universities in Bandung, Indonesia. The input here is related to the audience, institutional setting and type. The process includes the objective, content and teaching method. The output is represented by entrepreneurial knowledge, entrepreneurial spirit and entrepreneurial behavior. Meanwhile, this study tries to reflect that inputs, processes and outputs in EEPs to create value for students.

Design/methodology/approach

This study provides empirical evidence of how the influence of inputs and processes on output of EEPs. The results are based on survey data collected at universities in Bandung, Indonesia. A total of 222 respondents participated in filling questionnaires. Structural equation modeling is used to test the proposed hypothesis.

Findings

The study found that inputs are positively and significantly related to the process of EEP. The study also point out that processes have positive and significant effect on the output of EEP. Meanwhile, the inputs have negative and insignificant effect on the output of EEP. The study concludes that EEPs should be integrated in providing learning to students in encouraging business creation through the identification of inputs, processes and outputs so as to provide insight into how to manage value creation.

Practical implications

The study is valuable from a university and government perspective, as it highlights the most effective EEP for creating value that is an increase in the number of young entrepreneurs and business creation.

Originality/value

This study adds knowledge based on students’ perspectives at universities by demonstrating the importance of inputs and processes for EEP output as value creation in giving impact for students to be entrepreneurs.

Clubes de estudantes: espaços pedagógicos de desenvolvimento de competências de vida e formação de empreendedores sociais

Assente num paradigma que tem por meta a aprendizagem, e não apenas o ensino, e partindo do entendimento de que a Universidade pode, e deve, construir ambientes que favoreçam o desenvolvimento global do estudante, este artigo descreve e mostra como a implementação de Clubes de Estudantes (CE) desenvolve as competências pessoais e sociais dos estudantes. O artigo analisa o processo de implementação dos CE e as principais atividades de cinco CE universitários e, evidencia que estes são espaços pedagógicos de desenvolvimento de competências de vida e de estímulo ao empreendedorismo, para os estudantes.

Factors affecting universities’ ability to foster students’ entrepreneurial behaviour

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate behavioural and contextual factors affecting entrepreneurial universities’ ability to influence student entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial intention.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modelling was used to assess both micro and macro factors impacting on students’ entrepreneurial attitude and intention on a sample of 272 students of the Master of Business Administration at the University of Florence (Italy).

Findings

The study contributes to the literature on entrepreneurial universities by assessing the main factors affecting students’ entrepreneurial behaviour. The results stressed how students’ entrepreneurial intent is mainly affected by their entrepreneurial attitude, which is in turn influenced by some of the personality traits analyzed, in particular risk-taking propensity and locus of control. It also emerged how students’ perception of the university environment significantly influences their entrepreneurial attitude and intent.

Practical implications

By investigating the micro and macro factors that mostly affect students’ entrepreneurial intention, the research suggests some implications for future researches into student entrepreneurship, in order to develop specific teaching programmes affecting students’ entrepreneurial experience, character and related skills.

Originality/value

The value of the research relates to integrating psychological factors, geographical elements, and the contextual role of universities within student entrepreneurship in a scarcely investigated location, i.e. the Region of Tuscany (Italy).

The entrepreneurial university: an exploration of “value-creation” in a non-management department

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the strategies undertaken by “entrepreneurial” universities to leverage their bottom-line especially in response to withdrawals of public funding. Internationalisation has been the most prominent from setting-up overseas branch campuses to aggressive recruitment drives for international students, and more recently, the launch of new programmes to attract a wider market.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a documentary analysis, this study explores the future of curriculum development in entrepreneurial universities, using narratives around an “unconventional course” launch as a case illustration.

Findings

The findings reveal an interesting interaction of innovation, opportunity recognition, risk taking and pro-activeness at play within a university environment. The study also highlights how instructors have, in the past, based their syllabi on celebrities – from the Georgetown University to the University of South Carolina, University of Missouri and Rutgers University cutting across departments from English through sociology to Women’s and Gender Studies.

Practical implications

Overall this study captures the relationship between hip-hop artistry and poetry, as well as meeting the demands of society – societal impacts – not the least, bringing “street cred” into the classroom.

Social implications

The case illustration of a course launch at the University of Missouri linking hip-hop artists to curriculum development and pedagogy, opens up the discourse on the future trajectory of teaching and learning in higher education, with its attendant social implications – not the least for life after graduation.

Originality/value

This study provides fresh insights into the entrepreneurial potential of universities in co-branded/marketing activities with the hip-hop industry.

Entrepreneurial orientations of business students and entrepreneurs

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain the implications of different entrepreneurial orientations on business start‐up and development challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

This research reflects surveys of 1,075 experienced entrepreneurs and business and entrepreneurship students in Estonia during the years 2005‐2010. An additional method is action learning and reflections of training focused on recognising new business opportunities during the economic crises.

Findings

Combinations of co‐creative and innovative entrepreneurial orientations are more popular than the imitative entrepreneurial orientation. There is, however, an essential contradiction between stressing the principles of co‐creative orientation at the first stages of business opportunity identification and taking a more individualistic approach to innovation at later stages of the business development process and implementing the related changes. Potential entrepreneurs developing radically new innovative ideas in emerging economies should assess more realistically their existing core competences and search for opportunities to improve their competence base through cross‐border networking.

Research limitations/implications

Surveys that apply the self‐assessment tool do not comprise a representative sample of all Estonian entrepreneurs. These surveys have been conducted in training settings and support self‐development of trainees. Research results can be used for differentiating entrepreneurship training and education. An important opportunity for entrepreneurship education in the context of organisational change is to support the cross‐border exchange of entrepreneurial ideas between “blue ocean dreamers”, who sometimes lack entrepreneurship experience, and more experienced entrepreneurs, who may be trapped in some regionally‐limited business in a highly competitive domestic market.

Originality/value

The results of the research explain why entrepreneurship training has to take into consideration differences between imitative, individually innovative and co‐creative entrepreneurs.