Purpose It is unclear how nascent entrepreneurs make decisions during the venture creation process. The purpose of this paper is to investigate decision-making logics and their transformation over time among student entrepreneurs who aim to create new business ventures in the higher education setting. Design/methodology/approach The study employs the mixed methods approach through the use of survey and observation data. The longitudinal survey data comprise three surveys collected via an internet-aided tool. The constructs of causation and effectuation are measured using previously tested scales (Chandler et al., 2011). Non-participant observation data were collected during the course, focussing on the venture creation processes of four different start-ups, and were analysed thematically. Findings The findings show three transformation patterns – doubts in how to proceed, unwillingness to proceed, and unsatisfactory team dynamics – that led individuals towards a coping decision-making logic in which no causation or effectuation is emphasised. The findings illustrate that, despite this stage of decision-making logic, the learning process continues: Even if no new business venture is launched, entrepreneurship education can still generate learning outcomes that improve students’ understanding of entrepreneurship as well as understanding of themselves as entrepreneurs. Originality/value This study brings the theories of causation and effectuation into the teaching of entrepreneurship. Of particular value to scholars is the fact that the study generates new understanding of the decision-making logics during new venture creation. Accordingly, this study sheds new light on the transformation and complementarity of the decision-making logic of an individual as new ventures emerge in an educational context reflecting the real-life start-up context.

In the field of entrepreneurship education (EE), researchers, educators and policymakers have long attempted to determine whether EE has an effect on students, and many studies have provided anecdotal evidence measuring the impacts of EE endeavours. There is a particular lack of understanding in relation to affective learning outcomes – that is, the beliefs, attitudes, impressions, desires, feelings, values, preferences and interests of students – and of the related indicators. In response to this lack of understanding, this study aims to identify students’ affective learning outcomes in EE based on a taxonomy of such outcomes and to investigate and understand in depth their nature. The study draws empirically on the learning reflections of university students enrolled on a bachelor’s level course on corporate entrepreneurship, which are qualitatively examined through thematic content analyses. The study identifies various external and internal affective learning outcomes based on the levels of expertise of students and contributes to the existing EE literature by providing a more fine-grained understanding of these complex outcomes. For educators, the study makes affective learning visible in EE and provides insightful information for programme development.

This paper focuses on entrepreneurship educators as creators of an entrepreneurial learning environment in entrepreneurship education. Entrepreneurship education research has concentrated mainly on the subjects of education (i.e. the students) or on the content of learning, leaving individuals with a critical role in entrepreneurship education – the educators – without sufficient attention. In response, the research question for this study is: how do entrepreneurship educators create entrepreneurial learning environments in entrepreneurship education within higher education? The qualitative study draws on the principles of Vosniadou et al. concerning active learning environments by concentrating on interviews with entrepreneurship educators and documentary data. An entrepreneurial learning environment can be defined as a self-regulatory, co-created learning setting in which entrepreneurship students from different backgrounds learn in teams, as the findings suggest that educators emphasise adjustable co-creation within a ‘given’ format involving individuals with complementary skills working in teams. The study contributes to fulfilment of the identified need to understand the educator’s perspective, and to share the know-how and educational experiences of entrepreneurship educators. Practitioners can use the findings as a concrete tool for the creation of an entrepreneurial learning environment. They can learn from, adopt and develop the practices discussed when designing learning environments for their entrepreneurship students.

Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan yrittäjyyskasvatusta opiskelijoiden näkökulmasta analysoimalla opiskelijoiden näkemyksiä oman sisäisen yrittäjyyden merkityksestä työelämässä ja sen reflektiopinnoista. Tutkimuskysymykset ovat, 1) millaisia merkityksiä opiskelijat näkevät omalla sisäisellä yrittäjyydellään työelämässä olevan ja 2) minkälaisia reflektiopintoja he käyttävät pohtiessaan sisäistä yrittäjyyttään. Tutkimus toteutettiin sisäisen yrittäjyyden aineopintotasoisella kurssilla. Aineisto muodostui 74 opiskelijan oppimispäiväkirjoista. Opiskelijat pohtivat sisäistä yrittäjyyttä osana omaa toimintaansa 21 oppimispäiväkirjassa, joihin aineisto rajattiin temaattista analyysiä varten. Tulosten mukaan sisäiseen yrittäjyyden merkitykset työelämässä kytkeytyivät merkityksiin yksilölle itselleen ja yksilöä laajempiin merkityksiin. Sisäisen yrittäjyyden nähtiin vaikuttavan pääasiassa myönteisesti omiin uramahdollisuuksiin ja ammatillisen kehittymisen mahdollisuuksiin. Yksilöä laajemmat merkitykset koskivat työnantajaorganisaatioiden suoriutumiskyvyn parantamista ja muiden työntekijöiden työssä suoriutumisen ja hyvinvoinnin tukemista. Oppimisen reflektiopinnat liittyivät kurssilla käytettyihin oppimisaktiviteetteihin, opiskelijoiden aiempiin kokemuksiin työelämästä ja harrastuksista sekä roolimalleilta oppimiseen. Yrittäjyyskasvatuksessa opiskelijoiden näkökulmat ja toiveet tulee ottaa yhä enemmän huomioon, jotta voidaan tukea heidän motivaatiotaan yrittäjyystaitoihin ja taitojen nykyistä tehokkaampaa siirtymistä työelämään.

Teos kuvaa suomalaisen start-up-yrittäjyysbuumin syntyä punoen kuvaukseen Aaltoes-opiskelijayrittäjyysyhteisön ja sen keskeisten toimijoiden tarinat. Lisäksi teoksessa ovat kansainvälisesti tunnettujen peliyritysten Supercellin ja Rovion ja vuosittaisen teknologia- ja kasvuyritystapahtuma Slushin synty- ja kasvutarinat.