How action-oriented entrepreneurship training transforms university students into entrepreneurs: Insights from a qualitative study
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Authors
This paper provides insights into how action-oriented entrepreneurship training transforms university students into entrepreneurs. Understanding the process through which students become re-orientated to change their mindsets from expecting to get formal employment to embracing self-hire and actually starting their own businesses is important for motivating researchers and policy-makers to support action-oriented training. We qualitatively explored the effect of STEP (Student Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion), an action-oriented training program delivered to university students. We conducted seventeen semi-structured interviews with STEP recipients. We applied an inductive approach to the analysis of qualitative data. Findings revealed that transformation occurred through a step-by-step process with participants first experiencing empowerment due to the human and psychological capitals developed during the training. This empowerment coupled with appreciation of entrepreneurship and confirmation of its do-ability motivated recipients to adopt of a new career perspective and ignited in them a commitment to stay the course. We conclude that action-oriented training can transform recipients into real entrepreneurs through empowerment, appreciation, and confirmation of do-ability. The implication is that action-oriented training should be emphasized as an integral aspect of a strategy to address the problem of youth unemployment and general expansion of economic activity. Suggestions for future research are given.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship |
Volume | 35 |
Issue number | 5 |
Pages (from-to) | 787-814 |
Number of pages | 28 |
ISSN | 0827-6331 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 01.05.2023 |
Bibliographical note
We thank the three anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments. We particularly thank the associate editor, Étienne St-Jean for thoughtful advice. We are also grateful to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for funding this research.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Journal of the Canadian Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship/Conseil Canadien de la PME et de l’entrepreneuriat.
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