Graduate entrepreneurs are different: they access more resources?

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate whether, and in what areas, graduate entrepreneurs are significantly different from non‐graduate entrepreneurs, both generally and in terms of external resources (advice, finance and public procurement contracts).Design/methodology/approachThe available literature was evaluated to identify issues affecting enterprise generally, and external resource access and use and educational attainment specifically. The data used were generated from the 2008 UK Federation of Small Businesses Survey, providing over 8,000 usable responses for this analysis. Quantitative analysis identified significant general characteristics of graduate entrepreneurs compared with non‐graduate entrepreneurs. Factor analysis was then used to identify the sets of advice, finance and public procurement customers of greatest interest, with independent samples t‐tests used to compare graduate and non‐graduate use thereof.FindingsGraduate entrepreneur‐owned firms were statistically significantly more likely (than non‐graduate‐owned firms) to have younger owners, be younger and more export‐oriented businesses, in high knowledge services, to have intellectual property, make more use of web sites and be of high growth potential. In terms of external resources, graduate‐owned businesses were more likely to have received beneficial business advice from informal networks/trade associations, government business services, friends and family, customers and suppliers, and to have public procurement customers at the national/international level.Originality/valueThe study provides important empirical baseline data for future quantitative and qualitative studies focused on the impact of enterprise education specifically.

Determinants of SME Exporting

“…Pickernell et al (2011) found that graduate entrepreneurs exported a higher proportion of their turnover than non-graduateowned firms, and that graduate entrepreneurs were likely to have had prior experience in a multinational, though less likely to have previously owned or managed a business. Attributes associated with exporters include enhanced decision-making skills, leading to higher levels of competitiveness, growth and profitability than non-exporters.…”

Graduate entrepreneurs: intentions, barriers and solutions

“…The reasons for engaging with entrepreneurship and the models put forward to explain uptake are varied and complex, there is however a lack of research into the graduate specific experience (Matlay, 2011;Pickernell, et al, 2011;Nabi and Holden, 2008;Nabi et al, 2006;, Henry et al, 2003. The studies that have been carried out suggest that drivers are likely to include sociological factors and demographics such as gender, social-economic background and ethnicity, but also family background and childhood experiences, family involvement in business start up activities, work experience, and 'displacement of inertia' (Nabi et al, 2006;Reynolds et al, 2002).…”

Bourdieu’s non-material forms of capital: Implications for start-up policy

“…In the UK, public policymakers support various types of entrepreneurship and enterprising behaviour (Blackburn and Smallbone, 2011;Brooksbank, 2008;Greene, 2009;Hannon, 2003;Henry et al, 2003;Henry, 2010;Keogh, 2002;Mason, 2009;Pickernell et al, 2011Pickernell et al, , 2015Ritchie, 2006;Taylor and Plummer, 2003). Consequently, policy interventions reflect tailored and bespoke support for: women-owned businesses (Marlow et al, 2008;Rouse and Kitching, 2006;Wilson et al, 2004); disabled people (Kitching, 2006); ethnic minorities and refugees (Deakins et al, 2003;Lyon et al, 2007;Ram and Smallbone, 2002;Ram et al, 2012); students and graduates (Pickernell et al, 2011); and rural enterprises (Anderson et al, 2005;Lee and Cowling, 2015;Smallbone et al, 2003;Sutherland and Burton, 2011).…”