Internships enhancing entrepreneurial intent and self-efficacy: Investigating tertiary-level entrepreneurship education programmes

Abstract

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Entrepreneurship education interventions are deemed effective when they enhance interns’ entrepreneurial intent (EI) and entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE). Notwithstanding the emergence of internship as an experiential learning approach in entrepreneurship education, evidence about their potential to foster EI and ESE lacks systemisation.</p><p><strong>Aim:</strong> The aim of this study was to determine whether internships enhance EI and ESE. Furthermore, to what extent South African tertiary institutions include internships in their entrepreneurship and management curricula and the obstacles to such inclusion.</p><p><strong>Setting:</strong> South Africa has made a concerted effort to insert an entrepreneurship component across tertiary curricula. The evolution of this entrepreneurship component to experiential learning approaches is, however, unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> A qualitative research approach was followed. Firstly, it reviewed empirical evidence for the positive relationship between internships and EI and ESE. Secondly, it conducted a survey of entrepreneurship and business management programmes at all 23 South African tertiary institutions and content analysed the retrieved information to determine whether such programmes include internships. Finally, 10 experts were interviewed to unveil the constraints inhibiting the inclusion of internships in tertiary curricula.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> The results revealed empirical support for the positive influence of internships on both EI and ESE. Significant lack of inclusion of internships in tertiary curricula in South Africa emerged, owing mainly to administrative issues, curriculum re-design challenges, and lack of mentoring capacity.</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Tertiary-level entrepreneurship education programmes should include an internship component. The paper suggested that tertiary institutions pilot-test the inclusion of internships with a small number of students and a selected cohort of small business owners.</p>

The Effect of High Impact Entrepreneurship Educational Practices (Hieeps) on Entrepreneurial Self-Employment Among Business School Students

“…The positive relationship found between entrepreneurial internship program and entrepreneurial self-employment among university students indicates that the availability of an entrepreneurial internship program will lead to the entrepreneurial self-employment among the students. The findings are in line with previous studies that found similar results (Botha & Bignotti, 2016;Chou et al, 2017;Nurhuda & Soenarto, 2018;Zreen et al, 2019). Therefore, universities aimed at designing entrepreneurial development programs should emphasize the entrepreneurial internship program as an intervention to produce entrepreneurs among the graduates.…”

“…Internships refer to on the job training programs, which provide students with field knowledge related to their study in a supervised learning environment (Botha & Bignotti, 2016;Chou et al, 2017). The main objective of the internship program is to reinforce the knowledge learned in the classroom by providing an avenue for students to apply the knowledge in the real-world (Fitzgerald et al, 2014).…”

The influence of technology on entrepreneurial self-efficacy development for online business start-up in developing nations

“…The influence of local industry and regional knowledge production and transfer on propelling entrepreneurial activities is undeniable (Wynn and Jones, 2018). Botha and Bignotti (2016) make the point that in seeking to inculcate an entrepreneurial culture education has a double purpose: shaping minds as well as developing necessary knowledge and skills. Learning is also heavily influenced by the frame of reference, stemming from earlier life experiences, that shapes the learners’ values, beliefs and assumptions about themselves and the world in which they live (Guthrie, 2011).…”

Entrepreneurship Interests Students Viewed From Internship Experience and Role Of Teachers

“…In practical activities students are trained to work real before they graduate. Work experience gained during the internship can affect students' interest in entrepreneurship (Farouk A., et al, 2014;Hasbi, 2017;Botha, M. et al, 2016). Hurst, Jessica L., et al (2014) also said that internship activities are key in career preparation, professional development and career improvement for students.…”