Abstract
This research applies the changing of cognitive mechanisms of University students through Entrepreneurship Education (EE). The study hypothesises that entrepreneurial orientation (achievement orientation, personal control, innovation and self-esteem) improves after completing the entrepreneurship module. The context of this research involves undergraduate commerce students from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in South Africa. The study involves quantitative research using questionnaires through a longitudinal approach. The research design consists of a pre-test, post-test and post-test after the intervention. The impact of the training intervention was assessed over a 12 month period based on a randomised control design. This study indicates that entrepreneurial orientation was influenced through this Entrepreneurship module. The practical implications of this study emphasises the importance of training approaches that are based on empirical research. The uniqueness of this paper lies in the pedagogy used that allows the effectiveness of assessing a training program.
Highlights
Slow economic growth in most African countries have led to job creation challenges and as such there are no job guarantees, in particular, for University graduates at the end of completing a degree
The univariate comparison shows that the mean scores of the experimental group for the variables achievement orientation, innovation, self-esteem and personal control improved between T1 and T2 improved with the exception of self-esteem
Entrepreneurship Education (EE) is important for creating a positive entrepreneurial climate as well as practical skills required for successful Entrepreneurship
Summary
Slow economic growth in most African countries have led to job creation challenges and as such there are no job guarantees, in particular, for University graduates at the end of completing a degree. South African universities have not placed sufficient importance on entrepreneurship education resulting in entrepreneurship being the less explored career path. South Africa has approximately one and a half million informal small and medium business enterprises (SMMEs) the bulk of which employs less than 50 employees (Statistics South Africa, 2015). This raises many questions relating to EE at Universities, the scanty focus on improving existing curricula and secondly, the low level of start-up activity of graduate students. This paper will review the HYTTI Model for Entrepreneurship programs at a South African (SA) University and how it influenced EO of commerce students
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