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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the influential factors on entrepreneurial spirit of wood and paper industries students in two universities, namely Agriculture and natural resources faculty of Tehran University and Shahid Rajaiee teacher training University. A sample of 100 students were selected from a target population of 572 students using the Cochran formula. The respondents were asked to provide their answers to a standardized questionnaire. Results indicated that from the students' perspective such factors as motivation, providence and achievement propensity had the greatest impact on entrepreneurial spirit of the respondents whilst factors like internal control, exception ability and having systematic attitude had the least influence. Moreover concerning the effect of educational and academic factors on entrepreneurial spirit, the most effective items were respectively favorable access to computer and internet and learned and efficient instructors whereas the least effective items considered were degree orientation, students' apprenticeships in executive environments and education at the university. The findings showed a significant positive relation at the significance level of 0.05 between the level of education and age with the creation of entrepreneurial spirit amongst students. Furthermore a significant positive relation was observed between educational and academic factors, propensity to achievement, risk taking and ambiguity toleration, control source and family with entrepreneurial spirit at the significance level of 0.01. Also the results of multiple regression analysis showed that 79.7%of entrepreneurial spirit (the dependent variable) variance was explained by such independent variables as educational and academic factors, achievement propensity, being innovative, risk taking and ambiguity toleration, control source and family.