Abstract
Eleven engineers working within a corporate environment and four engineers operating their own engineering businesses within a South African context were each given questionnaires which aimed at assessing their entrepreneurial orientation. This was done to determine the potential for the development of entrepreneurial engineering amongst the engineering population. The results were used in conjunction with a literature review and case studies and a model was developed which engineering graduates could use to formally plan their future career paths towards managing their own businesses as entrepreneurial engineers. The results indicated that more than 50% of the engineers correlated strongly with the various requirements necessary for successful entrepreneurship. The study that was conducted among the four engineers already in an entrepreneurial career, coupled to a study conducted by the IEEE among similar individuals provides valuable insight into the problems that are encountered by entrepreneurial engineers during the initial stages of their careers in entrepreneurship . The study is important in that it identifies the potential for entrepreneurial engineering, the pitfalls of such a career and the benefits of such a career for the individual and society. The study concludes by suggesting a mechanism whereby such entrepreneurial engineering development may be realised .
Highlights
South Africa is very similar to many developing and developed nations today that are experiencing a huge demand for engineers as countries compete for technological innovation and development [1][3]
Entrepreneurial engineering is suggested as a career that should be payed serious consideration due to its broad macro-economic implications
The development of an entrepreneurial engineering "culture" within the engineering community will contribute to job creation, personal wealth creation and financial independence, increased competition, increased creativity and innovation, greater national self-reliance on products and services and a greater potential to compete globally
Summary
South Africa is very similar to many developing and developed nations today that are experiencing a huge demand for engineers as countries compete for technological innovation and development [1][3] This demand has been exacerbated by South Africa's emergence and integration into global commerce in the post-apartheid era [4]. This integration has seen an acceleration in economic growth and development, expansion of local businesses, and expansion of the national infrastructure. Such developments have resulted in a surge in industry's demand for engineers to spearhead the "renaissance of industrialisation" of Southern Africa [1].
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