Entrepreneurial Profiles at the University: A Competence Approach

Abstract

The Entrepreneurial University plays a central role in entrepreneurial ecosystems and actively influences the development of entrepreneurial human capital, which is a critical asset for many economies. There is thus a requirement for the identification and strengthening of entrepreneurial competences, but no previous studies have included any analysis of these competences in the university context using an approach based on profiles. The present study fills this gap by investigating the existence of different entrepreneurial profiles among students, based on their competences. It also defines key competences that are critical for differentiating between these profiles and improving entrepreneurial competence levels more generally. To meet these objectives, a field research campaign was developed. Data on 1104 students from various degrees and faculties were collected and analyzed using a quantitative methodological approach. The results reveal the existence of four entrepreneurial competence profiles, namely low profile, top profile, social profile, and grit profile. Among as many as 12 possible entrepreneurial competences, the most prominent can explain to a large extent the entrepreneurial profiles of students; these are networking and professional social skills, community engagement, perseverance of effort, and consistency of interest. The results provide evidence of the importance of social capital and grit. In addition to their contribution to the theory in this area and the development of the Entrepreneurial University paradigm, the results are also useful for the design of training strategies aimed at strengthening the levels of competence of students, thereby providing universities with tools to foster the creation of entrepreneurial human capital.

From ivory tower to entrepreneurial university: Agenda for sustainable job creation among university graduates in Uganda

“…Entrepreneurial university is that university which is able to outlive and adjust in profoundly complex and dubious conditions of the environment in which it functions [4]. The entrepreneurial university has the capacity to generate a structured strategic meaning [5], whether in the formulation of academic goals or translating the knowledge produced within university into knowledge of utilization to the economy and society [6] as a whole.…”

“…Liberalization policy yielded many other policies which favour development of entrepreneurial universities in Uganda. However, Blenker, et al and Clark observed that governments cannot carry out university reform, nor it is their job [8,4]. In order to improve and turn them into entrepreneurial institutions, universities alone have to take steps and activities…”

“…Universities will no longer be considered to be part of the national education system, to be protected by the state and to be responsible for teaching and study programmes. The need for transformation of universities is underlined, indicating that universities should boost their social significance and become more entrepreneurial [4]. Universities need to compete for students, study and support in a highly competitive environment, and devote more time to improving connections with external stake-holders.…”

How to Develop Entrepreneurial Talent More Effectively? A Comparison of Different Entrepreneurship Educational Methods

“…The common aspect of these companies lies in their teams of entrepreneurial people who remain passionate and create a culture of constant innovation. Notably, universities play a central role in the cultivation of entrepreneurial talents (Martínez-Martínez and Ventura, 2020). Recently, scholar attention has been drawn to determining how best to teach entrepreneurship for the achievement of better results (Lackéus, 2020).…”

Los estudiantes politécnicos en México y sus percepciones sobre los miedos que los obstaculizan para emprender

“…La literatura científica ha señalado que los obstáculos para el desarrollo y promoción del espíritu empresarial son multidimensionales: en principio se tiene el desajuste entre los planes educativos y las necesidades del mercado de trabajo; además del empleo de métodos de enseñanza inconsistentes, escaso énfasis en el aprendizaje de habilidades científicas, falta de contenidos educativos actualizados, excesivos cursos teóricos, uso de métodos tradicionales, falta de contratación de instructores con experiencia, mínima interacción entre la universidad y la empresa, relaciones poco adecuadas entre el sistema de educación superior y los sectores económicos líderes de la sociedad, los profesores no han adquirido habilidades específicas para la educación empresarial, los contenidos solo se ofrecen de manera teórica y no práctica, así como bajo número de emprendedores exitosos (Karimi, Chizari, Biemans y Mulder, 2010;Fallah, Razavi, Rezvanfar y Kalantari, 2014;Kozlinska, 2011;Lima, Almeida, Maria, Nassif y da Silva, 2012;Nwekeaku, 2013;Xianming, 2013;Martínez y Ventura, 2020).…”