Youth employment in start-up ventures in Jordan: an exploratory study

Abstract

Youth in developing countries are faced with high unemployment rates, even when they possess higher education degrees. In the developing world, small business and entrepreneurial ventures constitute the main drivers of economic development and offer employment opportunities for youth. Nevertheless, when faced with a career decision after their studies, youth seem to prefer careers in established companies over start-ups. As a consequence, start-ups find it more difficult to find and hire the right employees although they are available in the market. This study aims at examining the factors behind youth career decisions to work for a start-up company and provides suggestions for both research and practice. By relying on both entrepreneurship and career decision-making literature, we developed a theoretical model that includes background factors and individual characteristics. Results from a survey on youth graduates from Jordan show that a high school education fostered critical thinking and international exposure, the participation in entrepreneurial events and creativity, which predicted the willingness to work for a start-up.

Encouraging Female Entrepreneurship in Jordan: Environmental Factors, Obstacles and Challenges

“…In the aftermath of the Arab Spring and in a region where youth make up the majority of the population, job creation through entrepreneurship is an important factor for alleviating the economic welfare of Arab citizens and particularly the status of its women (Caputo, Mehtap, et al, 2015;Caputo, Lombardi, et al, 2015;Mehtap, 2014a).…”

“…However, students still feel that within this traditional Arab society, it can be harder for females to strike a balance between long work hours and their obligations as wives and mothers field of study (Caputo, Lombardi, et al, 2015). Liñán (2008) emphasizes that society plays an important role in encouraging entrepreneurial behaviour and that people are more likely to start their own business in environments that look positively at new venture creation.…”

“…Stimulating entrepreneurship interest among students in these institutions is one way of curbing the high levels of youth unemployment amongst Jordanians and in particular young female graduates (Caputo, Lombardi, et al, 2015).…”

“…First, Jordan has a well educated, dynamic and young population who is facing increasing levels of unemployment and overcrowding in the public sector. Second, following the boom in the ICT sector, the development of entrepreneurial activity is at the top of the national agenda and highly supported by the ruling Hashemite Royal Family (Caputo, Mehtap, et al, 2015;Caputo, Lombardi, et al, 2015). Third, there is a rising level of interest in alleviating the status of women in the country and encouraging them to play an active role in economic development.…”

Entrepreneurial education and internationalisation of firms in transition economies: a conceptual framework from the case of Croatia

“…Traditionally related with the creation and growth of economic activities (Davidsson, 1991;Lee et al, 2004;Wright and Stigliani, 2013), entrepreneurship has been studied with multiple facets over the past years. It has been identified as one of the main elements of economic growth and GDP increases (Wong et al, 2005); as a factor fostering the economical sustainability of developing countries (Ahmed and Mcquay;; as a factor influencing regional development through jobs creation (Venkataraman, 2004;Fayolle, 2007;Baptista et al, 2008); as one of individual responses to unemployment (Caputo, Lombardi et al, 2016;Gohmann, 2012;Hoxha, 2008;Tipu, 2012) in times of economic recession (Fairlie, 2013); as a driver of innovation and new product creation (Audretsch and Link, 2012;Drucker, 2014;Joshi, 2010); as a means of female and youth empowerment in developing contexts Ramadani et al, 2015). Thus, successful entrepreneurship has historically been addressed as a social phenomenon characterised as a social function for the development of communities (Wilton and Toh, 2012).…”