Higher education student intentions behind becoming an entrepreneur

Abstract

PurposeThis research aims to identify the intentions behind becoming an entrepreneur and the perception of entrepreneurial failure among different groups of students. There has been significant research discussing the motivations behind becoming an entrepreneur. However, such a research study is often focused on individuals who are already in the entrepreneurial process. Therefore, this research focuses on the understanding of the entrepreneurial process specified on the intentions of becoming an entrepreneur and the associated risk, in the context of a learning process.Design/methodology/approachThe perspectives of students towards becoming an entrepreneur and their perception of associated risk are identified. A comparative exploratory case study method is used. Three cases developed in the light of empirical evidence consist of Business, Law and Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students.FindingsMajor results show that the law and STEM students were on the same line in terms of motivational factors, such as being career driven. In contrary, the business students were more driven by personal factors such as leaving something behind and building something meaningful.Originality/valueWhilst studies have attempted to understand entrepreneurial intentions, little work has considered students and their views on becoming entrepreneurs. Even with studies that looked at this subject matter, the focus was mainly business students. The authors build on previous work and construct the authors' views based on multi-disciplinary student base to know more about their intentions to become an entrepreneur. The science and law students were more influenced by external factors, whereas business students were focused more on their personal goals. Such classification of the diverse intentions based on student discipline opens a new and promising research avenue to better develop entrepreneurial education not only for business students but across all disciplines in higher education.

Navigating turbulence in the UK: how gender shapes self-employed social engagement during crises?

“…As outlined in previous scholarship, much attention has been dedicated to understanding gender differences in demographic characteristics and personality traits amongst entrepreneurs (Santos et al ., 2018). Some studies have probed into the entrepreneurial intentions and orientations of men and women entrepreneurs and their subsequent effects on performance (Alexandre and Kharabsheh, 2019; Wasim et al ., 2024). Additionally, gender has often been employed as a control variable in entrepreneurial investigations (Villanueva-Flores et al ., 2021).…”

The Path to Entrepreneurship: The Role of Social Networks in Driving Entrepreneurial Learning and Education

“…To gain an immersive understanding of the context, we spent 2 weeks at each of the five CWSs and had informal discussions with 41 individuals who were using the spaces regularly and provided verbal consent (See Appendix A for the interview guide). Following the observational stage, semi-structured interviews (in-line with prior research [i.e., Haj Youssef & Teng, 2021; Wasim et al, 2023]) were conducted with six entrepreneurs using a constructivist approach to explore how entrepreneurs learn through interactions with individuals in their networks.…”

"Prospects and Perspectives: Personal Context Shaping Growth Intentions in Graduate Entrepreneurship across Malaysia"

“…Several studies have provided valuable insights into the personal context of growth intentions among graduate entrepreneurs. Personal characteristics, motivations, prior experiences, social norms, and socioeconomic context have been identified as influential factors in shaping entrepreneurial intentions among university students and graduates (Wasim et al, 2023). Additionally, the desire to be an entrepreneur, learning attitude, and personality traits have been highlighted as leading factors in entrepreneurial intentions (Cao et al, 2022).…”