How action-oriented entrepreneurship training transforms university students into entrepreneurs: Insights from a qualitative study
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In: Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Vol. 35, No. 5, 01.05.2023, p. 787-814.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - How action-oriented entrepreneurship training transforms university students into entrepreneurs: Insights from a qualitative study
AU - Melyoki, Lemayon Lemilia
AU - Gielnik, Michael
N1 - 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.
PY - 2023/5/1
Y1 - 2023/5/1
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Entrepreneurship
KW - Entrepreneurship
KW - human capital
KW - Business psychology
KW - psychological capital
KW - empowerment
KW - tanzania
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/d589f212-4014-3bf9-b9e2-7aec9449c013/
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85095752974&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/08276331.2020.1832831
DO - 10.1080/08276331.2020.1832831
M3 - Journal articles
VL - 35
SP - 787
EP - 814
JO - Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship
JF - Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship
SN - 0827-6331
IS - 5
ER -