Paid work activity and entrepreneurial cognitions of students – evidence from European emerging economies

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to investigate whether paid work activity (PWA) experience of students from five emerging economies is related to academic results and self-assessment of possessed entrepreneurial traits. Additionally, the authors verify the relationship between obtaining work experience and the willingness to start own business among students. Design/methodology/approach Participants included 3,631 students of the first level of higher education at six universities in five countries (Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine). A survey questionnaire was used which included questions on the previous work experience, paid work during university studies, the assessment of competencies related to entrepreneurship and the assessment of the desirability of entrepreneurship as a career choice. Findings Findings indicate that students who engaged in PWA before studies are more likely to do it during studies. PWA during studies is related to perceiving oneself as a worse-performing student, but also to the perception of oneself as an entrepreneurial person. No such relationship was found for the PWA experience before entering the university. It was also found that students are likely to start their businesses after obtaining work experience. Practical implications Practical implications pertain to the role of the contemporary academic institutions that should consider their approach to enabling students’ PWA and teaching them how to engage in it for the benefit of their own and the societies to which they belong. It is argued that it may be particularly essential in emerging economies. Originality/value The correlates of PWA of students have been underexplored. This paper allows broadening the current understanding of this phenomenon. The authors investigated its relationship with feeling entrepreneurial and academic achievements among young people from five emerging economies, which provides valuable insights for policymakers and educational institutions. It is argued that such insights may be particularly essential in emerging economies. Additionally, the authors contribute to advancing two theories that have not been extensively used in the entrepreneurial context: expectancy theory and social learning theory of career development.

Między komfortem a wyzwaniem: postawy i zachowania przedsiębiorcze studentów w Polsce i na Ukrainie

“…In the case of the third hypotheses (H 3 ), it should be noted that there was a statistically significant difference between the assessment of the respondents' own entrepreneurial abilities (p < 0 .0001), which are more often declared by students from Ukraine (85 .61%) than those from Poland (67 .5%) . This is confirmed by other studies (Halkiv and Ziemiański 2022) . A statistically significant difference was also identified between taking up employment during studies (p < 0 .0001), both in situations when the students were forced to do so by life circumstances and when they did not have to do so (50 .00% from Poland 50 .00% and 30 .30% from Ukraine) .…”

“…Although help from family members or friends in running a business is more often declared by students from Ukraine (53 .85%) than from Poland (46 .15%), this difference is not statistically significant (p = 0 .2436) . The results of other studies have been inconclusive in this regard and have often led to different results (Halkiv and Ziemiański 2022;Kramarz, Dębski, and Luty 2019, 33) .…”