scholarly journals The role of creativity in entrepreneurship: an empirical study on business undergraduates

2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 672-688 ◽  
Author(s):  
María-del-Mar Camacho-Miñano ◽  
Cristina del Campo
Keyword(s):  
Business Students ◽  
Control Sample ◽  
Youth Unemployment ◽  
Entrepreneurial Intentions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Employment ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Business Undergraduates ◽  
Start Ups

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the creativity level of business administration undergraduates who have attended an entrepreneurship seminar in contrast to those that have not. Design/methodology/approach Using two samples of Spanish students, the factors that condition the creation of new start-ups are analysed. A survey following the creativity items from the Kirton Adaption-Innovation (KAI) inventory was employed for a start-up seminar students and a control sample. Non-parametric tests were carried out on the responses. Findings The results show that Spanish business students’ entrepreneurial intentions are not conditioned by entrepreneurial courses, parental self-employment or by their creativity level. However, there are differences in creativity level by genders for their future ability to start-up a company. Practical implications There are no external constraints on not being an entrepreneur, who plays a fundamental role in the future of a country and it is a way to reduce current youth unemployment rates. Social and educational implications are also presented. Originality/value The use of the KAI inventory as a proxy of creativity index is original in the research. Moreover, this study contributes to a better understanding of the factors in becoming an entrepreneur, through exposure to creativity, growing up around businesses and awareness of individual creativity index. Integration of university courses with entrepreneurship actions will be of interest to the society development.

The perceptions of Australian senior entrepreneurs on the drivers of their entrepreneurial activity

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aron Perenyi ◽  
Roxanne Zolin ◽  
Alex Maritz
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Career Stage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Employment ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Start Ups

Purpose Why is self-employment an attractive option for certain seniors and what drives seniors into business start-ups? In this study, the motivations and preferences of senior entrepreneurs in Australia, to become self-employed, by means of business start-ups, are explored. The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical basis for policy implications. Design/methodology/approach A mixed methods study is conducted. Members of the National Senior’s Association in Australia were interviewed and surveyed. The semi-structured interviews identified the key factors influencing senior entrepreneurs in relation to self-employment and entrepreneurial choices at a later career stage. The survey collected information on intentionality, motivation, skills, opportunities, success, satisfaction, participation, barriers, benefits, education and training, and perceptions of policy support for senior entrepreneurs. Findings Respondents gave an account of the prevalence of pull factors motivating their choice of an entrepreneurial career. Multivariate statistical analysis of survey responses showed that senior entrepreneurs are more driven by opportunity than necessity and are primarily internally motivated. Research limitations/implications Results of this study suggest a weak link between motivation by others and the act of start-up, but this may also imply that those seniors who are more likely to become entrepreneurs are more likely to ignore the impulses from their social context. This requires further investigation to ensure a robust identification of drivers and an elimination of contextual effects. Further research is suggested to compose a relevant model structure in different contexts and a representative sample to confirm the model outcomes. Originality/value This is the first mixed methods study of the antecedents of senior entrepreneurs’ start-up intentions in Australia. The study also uses entrepreneurial activity as opposed to intention as its dependent variable, which allows for a more accurate evaluation of antecedents to the senior entrepreneurship phenomenon.

Experiential learning model: improving entrepreneurial values through internship program at start-ups

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Crestofel Lantu ◽  
Yulianto Suharto ◽  
Ira Fachira ◽  
Anggraeni Permatasari ◽  
Grisna Anggadwita
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Work Culture ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
Start Ups

PurposeThe development of teaching methods in the field of entrepreneurship education is a challenge for academics to achieve “real active learning.” This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of learning experience through internship program at start-ups. This paper examines the benefits and challenges from stakeholders' experiences and perspectives (business students, start-ups and universities). The authors focus on the entrepreneurial values obtained by exploring start-up processes, culture and work environments.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses qualitative research with a case study approach by applying experiential learning. The objects of this research are students of the School of Business and Management and start-ups in Indonesia. This study divides the pilot program of internship at start-ups into three stages, designing process, execution and evaluation. The analysis technique uses an interpretive approach from interviews and observations of internships based on experiential learning.FindingsThe results showed that the internship program at start-ups in this study has benefits for all major stakeholders, especially students. The results of student learning experiences show that start-ups' characteristics such as a creative work environment, egalitarian work culture and dynamic workflow flexibility can increase their professional and moral values.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has several limitations, including the internship program designed in this study, which is still raw and has several shortcomings. Time series in testing experiential learning is another limitation. For further study, it is necessary to conduct longitudinal research to measure the effectiveness of the start-ups' internship program.Originality/valueThis study provides new insights on experiential learning in developing an internship program at a start-up as an effort to increase entrepreneurial value for business students. This study highlights the possibility that an internship program at a start-up will have an impact on students' entrepreneurial values and competencies.

Beyond intentions – what makes a student start a firm?

2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 853-873 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanna Joensuu-Salo ◽  
Elina Varamäki ◽  
Anmari Viljamaa
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Entrepreneurial Intentions ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Start Ups

Purpose – Entrepreneurial intentions have been extensively studied in student populations, with results suggesting that higher education does not promote formation of entrepreneurial intentions (e.g. Varamäki et al., 2013). However, the gap between intending to start a business and actually doing something to start one remains. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions with higher education students andto analyze the antecedents of actual behaviors related to start-ups with higher education students. The authors use theory of planned behavior (TPB) for both analyzing the intentions and analyzing the actual behaviors. Design/methodology/approach – The authors apply Ajzen’s (1991) TPB to entrepreneurial intentions of higher education students and test their relevance as antecedents of actual behaviors. In addition to the basic elements of TPB (attitudes, subjective norm (SN) and perceived behavioral control (PBC)) the authors test the impact of entrepreneurial characteristics (EC) (innovativeness, tolerance of ambiguity, creative problem solving and the ability to organize) of the student for intentions and for actual behaviors related to start-ups. Gender, entrepreneurial role models and basic education (upper secondary school vs vocational) are used as control variables. The data were collected in fall 2012 in seven different universities of applied sciences and consists of 3,754 responses, including 182 from respondents who were starting their own business at the time of the study. Findings – For entrepreneurial intentions, the model explains 47 percent of the variance. The best antecedent of intentions seems to be attitude followed by PBC. EC and SN are significant but their role in the model is quite small. For actual behavior related to starting up a firm, the results are quite different. Gender explains behavior significantly and so does basic education. The most important independent variable is EC followed by PBC. Attitude toward entrepreneurship is not significant in explaining the actual start-up behavior, nor is SN. Research limitations/implications – From an empirical standpoint, the sample was limited to higher education students in one country. This limits the scope of generalization. Further studies, comparing antecedents of intentions and behavior in multiple contexts should be undertaken. Another limitation of the study is that the authors have been unable, due to the small number of students engaged in start-up activities, to examine the differences between study years. Practical implications – The results raise interesting and difficult questions for entrepreneurship educators. Should entrepreneurship education aim at actual behaviors rather than intentions – or neither? What is vocational education doing “right” compared with upper secondary school or, indeed, higher education? Furthermore, if EC are this significant for actual behavior, what should or could be done to promote development of such characteristics in higher education? Originality/value – The paper contrasts entrepreneurial intentions with actual behaviors related to starting up a firm and tests the utility of the TPB antecedents in this context. As the development of entrepreneurial intention has generally been studied in isolation from actual activities, the paper presents an interesting counterpoint to previous research.

scholarly journals Analysing impacts of the economic crisis on the pre–start ups process of business students in Germany.

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 41-57
Author(s):  
Walter Ruda ◽  
Thomas Martin ◽  
Rubén Ascua ◽  
Benjamin Danko
Keyword(s):  
Applied Sciences ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Specialized Knowledge ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Self Employment ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Universities Of Applied Sciences ◽  
Start Ups

The article is part of the empirical research project “Starting up Businesses and Entrepreneurship by Students” (GESt–study) and analyzes potential impacts of the economic crisis on the pre–start–up process of business students surveyed before and during the downturn at four German universities (of applied sciences), what supports the advancement of entrepreneurship education and support within two different macroeconomic contexts. Though in Germany recessions typically animate more persons to self–employment, these business start–ups are mostly based on necessity–driven entrepreneurship. But particularly opportunity entrepreneurship has positive effects on economic growth and employment. Whereas no significant differences can be detected regarding their start–up propensities, the economic crisis indeed has heightened the intended start–up time as well as the necessity–driven start–up motivation of the surveyed business students, but not their start–up motivation from economic self–realization. Therefore, self–employment as vocational alternative has to be highlighted stronger and entrepreneurial basic knowledge has to be taught adequately to the students so that they are able to mature as potential entrepreneurs at their universities – the location where specialized knowledge about their subsequent professionalism is imparted – what facilitates them to generate future innovations accompanied by enduring and high–skilled employment.

Student entrepreneurship ecosystems at Australian higher education institutions

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Maritz ◽  
Quan Nguyen ◽  
Sergey Ivanov
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Entrepreneurship Education ◽  
University Student ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Student Entrepreneurship ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Entrepreneurship Ecosystems ◽  
Start Ups ◽  
The Impact

PurposeDespite the significance, university student start-ups and student entrepreneurship ecosystems (SEEs) have been subject to little research. This study aims to apply a qualitative emergent enquiry approach to explore best practice SEEs in Australia, complimented by narratives from leading scholars in higher education institutions with the aim of delineating the integrative components of SEEs.Design/methodology/approachAdopting the entrepreneurial ecosystem framework and aligned to the social cognitive theory, this paper explores the components and dynamics of SEEs, contributing to an understanding of how such components can better support the growth, sustainability and success of student start-ups. The authors extend entrepreneurship research on social construction using narrative research.FindingsThe findings provide guidelines for researchers, entrepreneurship scholars and educators, entrepreneurship students, policymakers and practitioners to enhance the impact and success of university student start-ups by adopting a student ecosystem approach.Research limitations/implicationsThe narratives represent a limited number of universities with an opportunity for further research to empirically measure the impact and outcomes of SEEs. The research is exploratory, inherently conceptual and emergent, providing an opportunity for validation of narrative frameworks in future studies.Practical implicationsThe findings may assist university managers to be more aware of their own subconscious preferences to student entrepreneurship and start-up initiatives, which may be useful in refining their impact and offerings regarding a quest toward the entrepreneurial university.Social implicationsFrom social perspectives, the alignment of the components of SEE has the ability to enhance and shift the entrepreneurial mindset of entrepreneurship students, notwithstanding enhancement of intentionality and self-efficacy.Originality/valueThis is the first study of SEEs in Australia, highlighting the importance of the integration of entrepreneurship education programs, entrepreneurship education ecosystems, the entrepreneurial university and specific start-up initiatives such as university accelerators. Furthermore, students may enhance their entrepreneurial mindset by actively engaging in such ecosystems.

Technology business incubation for start-up generation

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 1471-1493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bala Subrahmanya Mungila Hillemane ◽  
Krishna Satyanarayana ◽  
Deepak Chandrashekar
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Systematic Evaluation ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Business Incubation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Start Ups ◽  
Goals And Objectives

Purpose Technology business incubators (TBIs) form an indispensable part of an entrepreneurial ecosystem for the promotion of tech start-ups across the global economy. However, they have evolved in varied forms over a period of time, in terms of typologies, sponsors and stakeholders, goals and objectives, functions and services offered, process of incubation support provided through hard and soft infrastructure, outcomes and achievements and even in terms of theoretical bases. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to review the extant literature on TBIs to arrive at a framework that explains how TBIs contribute to start-up generation. Design/methodology/approach This paper reviews extant empirical literature for a systematic evaluation to throw light on the various dimensions of TBIs: typology, goals and objectives, functions and services, process and provision of incubation support, outcomes and achievements. Further, after critically reviewing some of the theoretical propositions, it develops a conceptual framework combining pre-incubation, incubation and post-incubation processes of TBIs. Findings Based on literature understanding and some of the key theoretical constructs, a conceptual framework is developed comprising pre-incubation, incubation and post-incubation stages of start-up formation and graduation. The paper also identifies some prospective areas for future research. Research limitations/implications Any empirical research on technology business incubation must focus on pre-incubation and post-incubation processes as much as on the incubation process, to derive meaningful implications and enhance the productivity of TBIs. Originality/value The conceptual framework derived out of the systematic literature review will enable further research and exploration of micro-aspects of pre-incubation, incubation and post-incubation phases across multiple dimensions.

How innovation intermediaries support start-up internationalization: a relational proximity perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Schepis
Keyword(s):  
International Business ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Business Networks ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Analysis Process ◽  
Innovation Intermediaries ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Stage Analysis ◽  
Start Ups

Purpose This paper aims to examine how innovation intermediary activities increase relational proximity between start-ups and foreign partners to support start-up internationalization. Design/methodology/approach The paper applies a case study methodology to examine an international network of innovation intermediaries in the resources sector. Interviews were conducted with 59 start-ups, corporate and intermediary managers in four countries, supplemented by secondary data. A two-stage analysis process was performed to first identify activities relating to start-up internationalization and then apply a theoretically derived coding framework based on five proximity dimensions. Findings The case identifies several innovation intermediary activities, which facilitate relationship development between start-ups and partners in new markets. Findings outline how activities increase relational proximity across different dimensions, while also indicating a number of interrelations between dimensions, given the complexity of international business relationships. Originality/value This paper establishes interdisciplinary bridges between business networks, international business and economic geography perspectives. It provides a valuable empirical foundation for relational proximity, demonstrating its application to understanding start-up internationalization and its influence by intermediary-led activities.

scholarly journals The early growth of start-ups: innovation matters. Evidence from Italy

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffaele Fiorentino ◽  
Sergio Longobardi ◽  
Alessandro Scaletti
Keyword(s):  
Propensity Score ◽  
Propensity Score Matching ◽  
Firm Growth ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
New Ventures ◽  
Objective Measure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Start Ups

PurposeDespite the relevance of innovation in entrepreneurship literature, empirical research on the innovation-performance relationship in start-ups is underdeveloped and shows controversial results. To bridge this gap, the aim of this paper is to investigate the role of innovativeness on new venture performance in the early stage of the life cycle.Design/methodology/approachRegression modelling and propensity score matching are used to reveal systematic differences in growth between innovative start-ups (ISUPs) and non-innovative start-ups. We use an ad hoc dataset obtained through merging the financial database AIDA with data from administrative sources (Italian Chambers of Commerce and the Italian Ministry for Economic Development).FindingsThe results show that differences in growth can be explained by the different levels of innovativeness in new ventures. Moreover, unlike in prior studies, the innovation inputs matter more than innovation outputs. Indeed, the results support the idea that innovation policies can contribute to maximising the potential of start-ups.Practical implicationsThe findings provide suggestions for policy makers and entrepreneurs to help firms configure ex ante appropriate actions to support the growth of new ventures in the start-up stage.Originality/valueThis study is the first to use the new objective measure of start-up innovation, available from the Italian LD 221 register. Second, different types of innovation are investigated as antecedents of firm growth. Third, we employ propensity score matching, which favours revealing systematic differences in growth between ISUPs and non-innovative start-ups. Fourth, the results of our study are the first to offer evidence on the effectiveness of the new Italian sustaining ISUPs policy.

Which types of experience matter? The role of prior start-up experiences and work experience in fostering youth entrepreneurial intentions

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1181-1198
Author(s):  
Alex Bignotti ◽  
Ingrid le Roux
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Peer Influence ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Entrepreneurial Intentions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
South African Society ◽  
Start Up ◽  
The Impact

PurposeIn spite of research on entrepreneurial intentions being a mature field of enquiry, little is known about the influence of experience on entrepreneurial intentions, especially among the youth and in developing contexts. This paper aims to investigate the impact of different types of experience – entrepreneurial early childhood experiences, prior start-up experiences, work experience, education and peer influence – on the entrepreneurial intentions of South African youth.Design/methodology/approachFirst, a quantitative survey of 827 secondary students was administered, and the results were analysed by means of hierarchical logistic regression. Second, two focus groups were conducted with secondary students representing two distinct segments of South African society to shed light on some of the unique survey findings.FindingsThe results revealed that the experiences of having attempted to start a business and having previously worked in a business, as well as entrepreneurship education, have a positive influence on youth entrepreneurial intentions, while peers' entrepreneurial intentions exert a negative influence. Peer influence and contextual factors such as family and community support, which are catalytic in other parts of the world, appear to dampen youth entrepreneurial intentions because of fear of failure and fear of competition.Originality/valueThis paper examines the influence of a broader taxonomy of experience types on youth entrepreneurial intentions than found in previous studies. It highlights the unique role played by specific types of experience and points to the need to include extra-curricular entrepreneurial experiences in interventions aimed at fostering youth entrepreneurial intentions in developing nations.

Exploring the role of business relationships in start-ups’ life cycles

IMP Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 519-543
Author(s):  
Chiara Cantù ◽  
Sepe Giorgia ◽  
Alessandra Tzannis
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Business Relationships ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Resources ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Start Ups

Purpose Differently from previous works that focused on the entrepreneur and on his ability to manage social relationships, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of business relationships in the different stages of the life cycle of a start-up. Design/methodology/approach Since the paper aims to explore startups’ evolutionary phenomenon, it adopts a qualitative abductive methodology, presenting an in-depth study of two innovative Italian start-ups. The research is based on two steps. In the first one, the authors collected secondary data from start-ups’ reports and documents, financial indicators (when available) and processed them to understand their background. In the second one, the authors conducted ten semi-structured interviews, including face-to-face interviews, phone interviews and video conferences. Findings The paper presents a relationship-based life cycle model composed of four different stages, depending on the number and role of relationships developed. Indeed, since the beginning, start-ups adopt a relational approach and their evolution involves the shift from the focus on the entrepreneur to the centrality of a network approach based on interconnected relationships. The entering into a new stage of life cycle depends on relationships, mainly based on connected actors and resources shared and combined. Even if a key role is assumed by technology, the main resource is identified in the knowledge concerning the customer/user’s needs that require marketing competencies, human resources, relational capabilities. Thus, the shift from one stage to the next in the start-up’s life cycle is possible thanks to a parallel shift from a focus on the activities to a focus on those strategic and heterogeneous actors that ensure activities. Originality/value In a traditional perspective, the start-up’s life cycle depends on activities, financial resources and revenues, as stated by previous life cycle models. In a different perspective, as depicted in our analysis, the evolution of a start-up depends on the portfolio of their business relationships. The role of business relationships is hence to facilitate the interconnections within specialized key actors, which allow start-ups to access strategic resources. These resources are essential in order to develop the activities that characterize the specific stage of the life cycle.

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