Future Entrepreneurs Research Articles

Corporate Strategy for Sustainability: Reflections of Prospective Entrepreneurs

Universities play a crucial role in training and educating future businesspeople to comprehend sustainable thinking holistically. This demonstrates the importance of preparing the next businesspeople about students’ factual knowledge, practical skills, and responsibility towards sustainability. The aim of this research is to identify economic students, think about corporate strategy planning towards sustainability, and understand and reconcile the different sustainability perspectives. This study examined 534 economic students’ ideas in Can Tho City, Vietnam, and 102 scholars, opinions (international and local scholars and transporter/logistics) toward sustainable business practices. It was revealed that students in general are highly aware of the principles of sustainable development, ready to implement them in practice during business planning, and some aspects are even more important than experts. With the help of matrices of factor analysis four alternative realistic patterns of corporate strategies for sustainable development, with appropriate recommendations for their implementation were compiled. They can serve as a basis for decision-making by current and future entrepreneurs in the formation of their own business plans.

A Process Model for Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Evidence from a Highly Entrepreneurial European Region

Sustainable entrepreneurship creates social and environmental wealth and offers solutions to pressing sustainability issues. However, there remain major gaps in knowledge on how sustainable entrepreneurship actually unfolds. As a response, this study proposed a unique theoretical process model for sustainable entrepreneurship by conducting a multiple case study with evidence from the highly entrepreneurial region of Catalonia in Spain. Theoretical propositions suggest that the entrepreneurial process for sustainable entrepreneurship unfolds in the three phases of opportunity recognition, development, and persistence. The results of this study give evidence that sustainable entrepreneurs recognise opportunities in social or ecological problems, that they intend to achieve a hybrid nature of social/environmental and economic goals in the development phase, and that they manage to persist in the long-term through a participatory governance model and strong social networks. This study lays an important foundation for future theory building by specifying how the sustainable entrepreneurial process differs from the one of traditional entrepreneurship. For efficient policymaking, sustainability education, encouraging future entrepreneurs in their opportunity creation is needed, just as facilitated access to financing and support through adequate networking infrastructures.

The relationship between working in the "gig" economy and perceived subjective well-being in Western Balkan countries.

The combination of accelerated digitalization and the recent COVID-19 crisis has increased the number of remote workers worldwide to unimaginable proportions. Among the large number of remote workers that execute their projects from home, there is a significant number of permanently self-employed remote workers, usually referred to as freelancers. Despite the importance of this kind of business activity for modern project management society, perceived drivers of freelancing are still unknown. The goal of this paper was to shed some light on the general subjective well-being of freelancing activity and investigate differences concerning gender, age, and education. The study was performed in late 2020 and included 471 freelancers from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Montenegro that participated in an online questionnaire evaluating their subjective well-being while participating in the "gig" economy. Factor analysis was used as a primary statistical method and two major groups were identified: (1) Impact of working from home on a freelancer's personal life and health and (2) Fulfillment of expectations in the economic and professional sense. Gender was found not to be significant for overall work satisfaction. However, older freelancers proved to be more satisfied with the fulfillment of economic and professional expectations, which correlate with years of professional experience. Another conclusion is that more educated freelancers are generally less satisfied with both groups of drivers - fulfillment of personal life and professional expectations. Understanding how the combination of occupations, technological infrastructure, and demographic characteristics in the region has affected the well-being of freelancers may help policymakers and organization owners, as well as future entrepreneurs, better prepare for this model of work in the future. It also increases the possibility of exploring individual dimensions of wellbeing useful for targeting interventions at the level of each country separately. In line with this, the present study contributes to the existing body of knowledge and the impact of hybrid models of work on the subjective well-being of workers in the "gig" economy.

Environmental change, strategic entrepreneurial action, and success: Introduction to a special issue on an important, neglected topic

AbstractResearch SummaryThe two premises that underpin this SEJ Special Issue on Environmental Change, Strategic Entrepreneurial Action, and Success are that all environmental changes provide positive potentials for some ventures, and that this has been under‐emphasized in past theory and research. After stating these premises and illustrating how present research treats the environment, we proceed to explain how the five articles selected for the special issue advance our thinking in this domain. We then broaden our discussion to how future entrepreneurship research can make further progress by studying interaction among environmental changes as well as their links to entrepreneurial agents, contexts (sectoral, spatial, organizational, etc.) and the entrepreneurial artifact (emerging venture). Throughout, the focus is on the enabling rather than constraining role of environmental changes.Managerial SummaryThe COVID‐19 pandemic, the digital revolution, and the sustainability transition forced by climate change demonstrate significant business impact of environmental changes, including potentials for new business initiatives. This editorial and the five vanguard articles included in this SEJ Special Issue on Environmental Change, Strategic Entrepreneurial Action, and Success outline how future research can develop better theory and evidence on this important topic. The articles address matters ranging from how COVID‐19 facilitated some technology firms' recruiting and reignited media firms' dormant initiatives to how environmental degradations sparked entrepreneurial ecosystem development in Kenya, how the level of environmental dynamism at a venture's birth impact its current ability to benefit from change, and the consequences of passing on potentials provided by environmental change.

How a Private Educational Institution in South Brazil Managed to Create a University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

This article aims to describe the dynamic of a university innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, as well as the actions developed by a private university in southern Brazil to create it. Through a descriptive qualitative approach, the research strategy consisted of a case study in which data were obtained through six interviews, non-participant observation, and documentary analysis. The results demonstrated that the university managed to reach an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem once they reinforced favorable institutional conditions for entrepreneurship and developed a structured department of entrepreneurship education that gives support to future entrepreneurs. Once the theme has not yet been widely explored in the literature, this article aims to contribute both to broaden the debate and to present a case of a South American private university that may serve as a model for other educational institutions that wish to create or reinforce their university innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems.

Factors Promoting the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Heis of India and its Impact on Millennials’ Education

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the steps taken by HEIs after the announcement of the startup India campaign by the government in 2015. This research paper will highlight the factors which are responsible to establish an entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing the right education in HEIs f India. Theoretical framework: Entrepreneurship in educational institutions has increased significantly due to Government’s efforts through the national innovation start-up policy which is not only supporting buddy entrepreneurs but also opening avenues for faculty members. This research paper will highlight the factors which are responsible to establish an entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing the right education in HEIs of India. Design/methodology/approach: The data has been collected from HEIs of Delhi NCR, India and the same is analysed and interpreted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software by considering two variables Ecosystem and Education in the Entrepreneurial context. This paper attempts to fill this gap in current research and highlight the role of HEIs in nurturing and shaping future entrepreneurs in India. Findings: The results through in-person interviews demonstrated that students have a strong willingness to explore this subject however HEIs need to design the right curriculum for better outcomes to nurture buddy entrepreneurs. The result of data analysis shows there exists a significant relationship between education, entrepreneurial ecosystem and career aspirations. Research, Practical & Social implications: The study suggested that HEIs should have a detailed profile of students’ backgrounds which enables them to design the right strategy for establishing an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Originality/value: The value of the study is the analysis of the willingness of students towards entrepreneurship as a career and the preparation of HEIs in the implementation of entrepreneurship education. There is an utmost need to design a curriculum by understanding the need of students which can enhance not only their knowledge, skills and abilities but their experience in the world of entrepreneurship.

The Influence of Internal Locus of Control and Entrepreneurial Skills Training on the Growth of Micro and Small Enterprises in Bomet County, Kenya

There is an ongoing argument that internal locus of control of business owners or managers can be related to the growth and survival of the business. The internal locus of control might be affecting the growth of enterprises as internal locus of control of an entrepreneur differs from the characteristics of a non-entrepreneur Some researchers have tried to define success in terms of turnover, sustainability, and growth. Some researchers have observed that entrepreneurial traits are indicators of success. The general research issue that has to be addressed in this study is the fact that, in addition to financing and markets, there are additional variables impacting the high mortality rate and stunted growth of micro and small firms in Kenya, particularly in Bomet County. So, this study will look at the connection between the development of micro and small businesses in Bomet County and internal locus of control. In this study, the moderating impact of training in entrepreneurial skills will be examined. The target population was micro and small enterprises in Bomet County which were 14,574 in number in 2016. The unit of observation was the managers and owners of these enterprises. The unit of analysis in the micro and small enterprises in Bomet County and their growth over the past five years. The study used a stratified sampling technique to pick the respondents from the manufacturing, trade, and services strata of micro and small enterprises. The sample size was 384 micro and small enterprises. Data was collected using a questionnaire. Data collection was done by administering the instrument to the owners or managers of the enterprises. The data was processed using computer software. The association between the internal locus of control of entrepreneurs and the expansion of businesses was established using a multiple regression model. The main conclusions were that the expansion of businesses in Kenya's Bomet County is influenced by internal locus of control. The study's main advice is that the key participants in the firms should train to develop the traits of owners and managers. This study also suggests that not everyone can succeed as an entrepreneur. Resources and a methodology should be available to find future entrepreneurs. The necessary resources cannot be accessed before identification.

A tale of two life stages: The imprinting effect of macroeconomic contractions on later life entrepreneurship

Studies argue that macroeconomic contractions create immediate incentives for individuals to pursue entrepreneurship. However, research has not addressed whether past macroeconomic contractions imprint on individuals and influence their future entrepreneurship. Integrating literature on the business cycle and imprinting with insights from lifespan psychology, we develop and test competing theoretical arguments aligned to two distinct life stages about when a macroeconomic contraction will imprint on individuals to influence their future entrepreneurship, and how such effects are imprinted. Our findings show that only contractions experienced during early adulthood influence entrepreneurship and this effect is transmitted culturally via country-level preferences for time discounting.

Re-predict and Improve the Outlook for The Overall Decline of The Big-box Retailer Industry: Case of Target's Tailures in Canada

The rise of e-commerce in the 21st century has dramatically impacted the Canadian and global consumer markets. During this period of high economic volatility, many big-box retail chains have gone out of business due to ineffective modes of business. Through the case study of the rise and fall of Target Canada between 2013-2015, and cross-referencing the company’s statistics with the successes of other surviving competitors such as Walmart, many flaws of its operations were exposed. The four fundamental flaws in Target Canada’s operations were found to be: Overly-aggressive expansion into a foreign market niche; a high level of competition with other retailers due to a lack of specialties in merchandise; Low brand loyalties due to poor consumer experience, and Lack of user-friendly online shopping platforms, mobile app platforms, and other auxiliary services. This study has concluded that Target Canada’s lack of implementation of technological innovations and its ineffective logistical planning were the two major causes of its ultimate downfall. Suggestions for correction and improvements are discussed, which may give insight to current and future entrepreneurs who wish to enter the Canadian market as a retailer.

How does university-based entrepreneurship education facilitate the development of entrepreneurial Intention？Integrating passion- and competency-based perspectives

The identification of the effects of university-based entrepreneurship education has attracted increasing interest in both academic and practical communities. On the basis of integrating passion- and competency-based perspectives, this study attempted to offer a sound understanding of how university-based entrepreneurship education influences the entrepreneurial intention of university students. Based on a dataset of 1050 university students from 50 universities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in China, a hierarchical linear modeling analysis was performed, and the results support our hypotheses. Our research provides the first empirical evidence illustrating how, in the organizational context, university-based entrepreneurship education facilitates the shaping of future entrepreneurs from dual perspectives. The implications of our findings were discussed.

A Future Entrepreneur in The Making: A Conceptual Model of Students’ Entrepreneurship Intentions

A model of students’ entrepreneurial intention on the basis of the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework is presented in this paper. It emphasizes that entrepreneurial education acts as an environmental stimulus that influences the cognitive, motivation and emotional responses of the organism, i.e., entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial desirability, and that it triggers a response in students that is related to entrepreneurial intention. Accordingly, entrepreneurship education has been proven as one of the crucial elements for increasing the number of individuals who want or intend to start his or her own business. Meanwhile, entrepreneurial desirability is developed through entrepreneurship education, which affects a person's desire to pursue a profession that corresponds to his or her learning experiences. In addition, students with entrepreneurial passion will experience tremendous emotions, use their minds, and act immediately to achieve their goals. Therefore, this relationship is mediated by entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial desirability, and the conceptual model described in this paper seeks to inform future empirical research.

The Impact of Hiring People with a Disability on Customers’ Perspectives: The Moderating Effect of Disability Type

The present study investigates the effect of hiring people with a disability in the service staff on customers’ perspectives in Jordan, with the moderating role of disability type. The quantitative research method was adopted to obtain the necessary data for the research; the study sample was convenient and consisted of 765 participants who are social media users belonging to different age groups. The data were collected using an online questionnaire distributed through various social media platforms. Findings exhibited that the antecedent variable positively affects the consequent variables (quality, brand image, and loyalty), while there was no significant effect on purchase intention or stereotyping. Further, hiring people with a disability had the strongest impact on perceived brand image. The findings from this research could eventually furnish assistance to existing and future entrepreneurs to build sustainable enterprises while keeping pace with a nation becoming socially responsible.

Case Study of Makeover Design Studio – Empowering Women

Purpose: Fashion entrepreneurship is considered one of the best models for doing sustainable business today. While meeting the needs of the society it has proved to enable practicability to secure business. This case study focuses on Makeover Design Studio. The case of Makeover Design Studio will be analyzed in how it creates market-based orientations, how the business creates values, and innovativeness in various dimensions of entrepreneurship. Makeover Design Studio, keeping the mission and goodwill of the clients, employees, and women empowerment. The boutique is considered entrepreneurship, market orientation, and employability. It is a legally incorporated design and manufacturing organization in Mangalore. Similar case studies have been studied on women entrepreneurs, to know various women empowerment programs; therefore, it is critical to understand the process followed by Makeover Design Studio. In modern times a family cannot afford to have any of its female members who are non-productive. However, lack of skills and financial paucity lead to women being unemployed. This can be elevated through the interventions of entrepreneurs by giving directions and purpose for their livelihood. Women's Empowerment builds the ability to gain power over oneself and take decisions over one’s life, boosting confidence, self-esteem, and well-being. Hence Makeover Design Studio is involved in various activities such as conducting workshops, demonstrations, seminars, exhibitions, and skill development programs to improve the ability of women. Design/Methodology/ Approach: The approach followed in making this case study is based on the observations of the processes followed, speaking to various participants of the empowerment programs of the organization, the owner, and the program coordinator. Open questions were asked to many of them, either directly or indirectly, involved in the activities are conducted by Makeover Design Studio. Findings/ Results: It has been found out by the study conducted at Makeover Design Studio, that by conducting activities and skill development programs for women, they can be empowered and made into future entrepreneurs. Originality: This is the first attempt to study Makeover Design Studio; as a case study; which was not studied by any academician. Collectively the case study reflects the difference between employed and empowered. The main intention of the case study is to highlight the importance of the holistic and inclusive approach to women's economic empowerment and the provision of services that create enabling equality. Paper Type: Case study to understand the supporting activities conducted by Makeover Design Studio in accordance with the differential needs and priorities.

Enhancing Entrepreneurship Intentions through Communication Activities

At the Language Centre NDUM, the students have initiated an entrepreneurial business company which offers English language related services to the public and the name of the company is The English Language House or TELaH. An example of these services is the online public speaking course which has been offered for more than a year now. This study analyses communication apprehension (CA) in students who run TELaH and investigate if CA influences their entrepreneurship intentions (EI) in becoming entrepreneurs once they have graduated. The study also sees whether demographic factors such as age, gender, education level and grades, work and business experience, and family background affect EI amongst university students, and whether there is any relationship between CA and EI. This is a quantitative study where an adapted questionnaire which tests samples’ CA and EI is used in data collection. It also uses convenient sampling and data are analysed using Pearson Correlation using SPSS version 23.0. Samples are 65 Language Centre’s undergraduate students who are involved with TELaH’s activities such as trainings and courses which involved group discussion, meeting skills, interpersonal, and public speaking. This study supports that good communication skills can contribute to an increase in entrepreneurial intentions amongst graduates. In a way, it implies that people with good communication skills will be inclined to start up own business and succeed at it. Therefore, if universities in Malaysia want to facilitate in promoting entrepreneurship or producing future entrepreneurs, students’ communication skills should be cultivated and enhanced.

Business plan competitions and nascent entrepreneurs: a systematic literature review and research agenda

Business plan competitions (BPCs) are opportunities for nascent entrepreneurs to showcase their business ideas and obtain resources to fund their entrepreneurial future. They are also an important tool for policymakers and higher education institutions to stimulate entrepreneurial activity and support new entrepreneurial ventures from conceptual and financial standpoints. Academic research has kept pace with the rising interest in BPCs over the past decades, especially regarding their implications for entrepreneurial education. Literature on BPCs has grown slowly but steadily over the years, offering important insights that entrepreneurship scholars must collectively evaluate to inform theory and practice. Yet, no attempt has been made to perform a systematic review and synthesis of BPC literature. Therefore, to highlight emerging trends and draw pathways to future research, the authors adopted a systematic approach to synthesize the literature on BPCs. The authors performed a systematic literature review on 58 articles on BPCs. Several themes emerge from the BPC literature, including BPCs investigated as prime opportunities to develop entrepreneurial education, the effects of BPC participation on future entrepreneurial activity, and several attempts to frame an ideal BPC blueprint for future contests. However, several research gaps emerge, especially regarding the lack of theoretical underpinnings in the literature stream and the predominance of exploratory research. This paper provides guidance for practice by presenting a roadmap for future research on BPCs drawing from the sample reviewed. From a theoretical perspective, the study offers several prompts for further research on the topic through a concept map and a structured research agenda.

Entrepreneurial role models and college students' entrepreneurial calling: A moderated mediation model.

College entrepreneurship education should not only cultivate a group of college students who have strong willingness to start a business immediately after graduation, but also pay attention to future entrepreneurship success of college students. Correspondingly, in addition to attaching importance to improving college students' entrepreneurial intention, college entrepreneurship education should pay attention to improving college students' entrepreneurial calling. At present, there is insufficient research on the association between entrepreneurial role models and entrepreneurial calling. We aim to study the mechanism and boundary condition of the association between entrepreneurial role models and entrepreneurial calling. A longitudinal survey was distributed among 519 students from 16 colleges and universities in China. In the survey, the college students answered questions on entrepreneurial role models, entrepreneurial calling, entrepreneurial perceived behavioral control and entrepreneurial hands-on practice. Hierarchical regression was conducted, testing the association between entrepreneurial role models and entrepreneurial calling of college students, mediated by entrepreneurial perceived behavioral control and moderated by entrepreneurial hands-on practice. Therefore, based on the social learning theory, the theory of planned behavior and the entrepreneurial event model, and by hierarchical regression of the data, this study confirmed that entrepreneurial role models were positively associated with college students' entrepreneurial calling by partially mediating with entrepreneurial perceived behavioral control. Moreover, Entrepreneurial hands-on practice positively moderated not only the relationship between entrepreneurial perceived behavioral control and entrepreneurial calling, but also the mediating association of entrepreneurial perceived behavioral control between entrepreneurial role models and entrepreneurial calling. This study not only enriches the theoretical research on entrepreneurial calling and entrepreneurial role models, but also provides valuable educational enlightenment for colleges and universities to improve the students' entrepreneurial calling.

INFLUENCE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION AND BEHAVIOUR ON STUDENTS' INTENTION TO START A BUSINESS IN MOROCCO: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

<p>The role of entrepreneurship in economic development is significant, which is why business schools and universities are prioritizing entrepreneurship education. This research aims to determine the impact of these programs on individuals' intent to become entrepreneurs using Ajzen's theory of planning behavior. The survey method was used to gather data from 403 participants and SEM path analysis was employed to analyze the results. The findings suggest that feedback and business plan activities have a direct effect on entrepreneurial intention. This information can be utilized to improve entrepreneurship training courses and support their providers. Furthermore, the relationship between entrepreneurship and business planning can be leveraged by educational institutions, organizations, and policymakers to foster future entrepreneurs.</p><p><strong>JEL:</strong> M13, M53</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0097/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Ethical attitudes of the future Russian officials and businessmen: Comparative analysis

Introduction. In accordance with the Bucharest Declaration of Ethical Values and Principles of Higher Education (2004), modern universities cannot be considered only as scientific and technical “factories” in isolation from values and ethical norms. In accordance with their mission in society, they should “contribute in every possible way to the establishment and inculcation of the highest moral standards”.In this article, the problem of training future government and municipal employees in the Russian universities of the country is actualised based on the analysis of the research results of their ethical attitudes in order to indirectly assess the effectiveness of anti-corruption training of students of specialised educational programmes in the areas of “Government and Municipal Administration” and “Law”.Aim. The present empirical study aimed to identify the ethical attitudes of future officials in comparison with future entrepreneurs, as well as with the employees of commercial companies and government officials.Methodology and research methods. The authors conducted an online research. The research involved 874 people. The main test sample (134 students) consisted of two groups: students of the speciality “Government and Municipal Administration” and “Law” (70 people), and students of business education programmes (64 people). The background sample consisted of the government and municipal employees (39.0% of the total sample) and the employees of commercial companies (36.5%), as well as the representatives of NGOs (6.8%). In the course of a comparative study, using the questionnaire “Moral Views (Amoralism)-2” by E. A. Bulgakova, and the scale of the “Dark Future” by Z. Zalessky, the authors tested the hypothesis on the samples of future officials and future business representatives. The tested hypothesis was based on some works of foreign authors and consisted of the fact that future Russian entrepreneurs were expected to have a higher degree of relativism (than future officials), supporting personal moral standards and rejecting universal moral principles.Results. The tested hypothesis was not confirmed by the research results. Compared to future entrepreneurs, future officials are significantly more likely to justify the act of appropriation, deception due to omissions, and revenge within the law. Future officials turned out to have higher indicators on the scales of cynicism, aggressiveness and hostility than students in the field of business education. In addition, future civil servants have more uncertainty about whether they will be able to take place in life, fears about possible collisions with life crises and difficulties, as well as anxiety for their future. Existing university ethics training programmes often only strengthen relativistic views and form deviant behaviour in the future.Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of the study consists in the fact that the authors carried out theoretical analysis and empirical research, which consisted in the study of ethical attitudes among the representatives of two professional groups.Practical significance. As part of the development of training programmes, it is advisable to increase the emphasis on structurally mature ethical attitudes of professionals, especially state and municipal employees.

Entrepreneurship Education & Pedagogy: An Interview With Eric Liguori

In this interview, Eric Liguori talks about the past, and more importantly the future, of entrepreneurship education. Liguori discusses the history and origins of Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy (EE&P; this publication), where it has been, and why he believes the future is so bright. He also discusses areas of opportunity for the future entrepreneurship education and advice for educators in how they approach the teaching of entrepreneurship. Liguori was the Founding Executive Editor of EE&P for 5 years, from January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2022. This article aims to honor his leadership to the journal as well as to celebrate his recognition as the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship’s 2023 Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year.

Implementation of the Entrepreneurship Program in Preparing Students Become Entrepreneurs

The high unemployment rate is due to the large number of high school graduates who do not continue their education to the tertiary level and most graduates are unable to compete for jobs. Therefore, every level of education needs to implement an entrepreneurship program to prepare students to become future entrepreneurs. This research is a literature study using the systematic literature review (SLR) method which consists of 6 stages: planning, literature search, criteria assessment (inclusion and exclusion), quality assessment, data collection, and data analysis. This research aims to find out the reasons for implementing the entrepreneurship program, the types of entrepreneurship programs, and the obstacles encountered in implementing the entrepreneurship program. The results of the data analysis show that the high unemployment rate and the desire to advance the economic sector are the main reasons for implementing entrepreneurship programs in schools. Broadly speaking, there are two ways to implement the entrepreneurship program in schools: first through entrepreneurship education that is integrated with subjects, extracurricular activities, and learning entrepreneurial practices, and second by holding various forms of life skills training. There are several obstacles encountered in implementing the entrepreneurship program in schools, including the mindset of students who are less developed, lack of creativity, inadequate infrastructure, and relatively short implementation time to provide less than optimal results.