The Role of Motivation and Entrepreneurial Role Models in Shaping Entrepreneurship Competence of Higher Education Students

Abstract

Entrepreneurship competence (EC) has received considerable attention in Europe, particularly after the European Commission published the EntreComp framework in 2016. EC can be defined as a competence for life, relevant to personal development and fulfilment, finding and progressing in employment, as well as initiating new ventures ranging from community campaigns, social enterprises to new start-up businesses. There is a need to develop EC of European citizens, and especially in higher education context, but little is known about the factors shaping EC. The objective of this research is twofold: (1) to examine the relationship between entrepreneurial role models and entrepreneurship competence of higher education students, and (2) to examine the relationship between motivation and entrepreneurship competence of higher education students. The data (n=1373) was gathered from two Finnish universities, and respondents represent first year students in versatile study fields. In this research, entrepreneurial role model is defined as someone in the close family (parents or siblings) working as an entrepreneur, and motivation is examined through multidimensional achievement motivation. The results show that there is a positive relationship between entrepreneurial role models and EC. The most important factor explaining EC is the motivation subscale of work orientation followed by mastery needs and interpersonal competitiveness. The model explains 46 percent of the variance in EC. The study contributes to understanding the underlying factors shaping the EC of higher education students, and suggests practical solutions for entrepreneurship education.