Sustainable Entrepreneurial Culture Programs Promoting Social Responsibility: A European Regional Experience

Abstract

Currently in the European Union, regional policies and their related programs are aware of the importance of fostering social responsibility, whilst, at same time, they have to promote entrepreneurship. Promoting the culture of sustainable entrepreneurship could be the answer. In this article, the Spanish case-study of the Autonomous Community of Extremadura is analyzed to show the existing regional policies fostering voluntary educational programs devoted to entrepreneurship since 2012. In this context, a specific entrepreneurship project related to sustainability was developed in 2017–2018 in secondary schools with the leitmotiv to consider the Sustainable Development Goals from the United Nations. Using the Structural Equation Modeling method with a sample of 630 students under the umbrella of the project called Teenemprende, the study concludes by highlighting that sustainable entrepreneurial culture programs in the public educational system already have some positive effect on the students´ attitude to social responsibility, thus empowering them to change the world for a better future.

The Role of Entrepreneurship Policy in College Students’ Entrepreneurial Intention: The Intermediary Role of Entrepreneurial Practice and Entrepreneurial Spirit

“…It may be worthwhile to explore avenues where teachers and students start businesses together if the conditions permit. Through EE, students can enhance their sense of social responsibility and voluntarily devote themselves to improving the entrepreneurship ecosystem within their region (Sánchez and Maldonado, 2019), to form a sustainable virtuous circle of "education -entrepreneurship -economic development. " The government should design policies to encourage college students to start their own businesses and encourage the development of EE, establish a fair and green business environment, and introduce policies to strongly support students' participation in entrepreneurship, such as providing financial support and interest-free loans.…”

Understanding the link: the competencies and motivations of nascent entrepreneurs to engage in sustainable entrepreneurship

“…, 2018; Mupfasoni et al. , 2018; Sánchez-Hernández and Maldonado-Briegas, 2019; Vuorio et al. , 2018).…”

“…Existing research on sustainable entrepreneurship distinguishes between two approaches to address research questions: categorizing internal and external factors that influence the adoption of sustainable entrepreneurship (Lüdeke-Freund, 2020) and focusing on challenges and opportunities at multiple levels (Johnson and Schaltegger, 2020;Kraus et al, 2018;Mendes et al, 2022). Internally, entrepreneurs' adoption of sustainable practices significantly hinges on their individual characteristics, including motivation, intent, attitude, moral antecedents, personal values, beliefs, sustainability orientation, education and cognitive factors (Muñoz, 2018;Mupfasoni et al, 2018;S anchez-Hern andez and Maldonado-Briegas, 2019;Vuorio et al, 2018). Conversely, external factors are associated with the institutional context, encompassing cultural elements, stakeholder management, normative and legal environments, the impact pathway of technical research and development, the development of financial intermediaries and the support system (Ayuso and Navarrete-B aez, 2018;Ben Youssef et al, 2018;Fischer et al, 2017;Gu and Wang, 2022;Muhammad Auwal et al, 2020;Shahid et al, 2023).…”

Entrepreneurial ecosystems, institutional quality, and the unexpected role of the sustainability orientation of entrepreneurs

“…Furthermore, a culture of sustainability orientation (Cohen, 2006;Sánchez-Hernández and Maldonado-Briegas 2019) includes accepting and supporting individuals attempting to start their own businesses who are pursuing environmentally-friendly and productive goals. The EE is an effective mechanism by which to share risks through collaboration, engage in joint action in addressing global challenges, and focus on activities that support various EE actors such as entrepreneurs, society, government, and investors in a Schumpeter (1934) and productive way (Baumol, 1990).…”