The impact of individual entrepreneurial orientation and education on generation Z’s intention towards entrepreneurship

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the level of entrepreneurial features and the intention towards entrepreneurship (ITE) of generation Z students. The paper also explores if entrepreneurial education (EE) plays a role in the development of individual entrepreneurship orientation (IEO) and in increasing the ITE of the generation Z students. Design/methodology/approach The research consists of a survey of students in the fields of marketing and communication (n = 590) conducted in January 2018. The authors used SPSS software to test the reliability of scales that measure IEO, ITE, the need for achievement, structural behaviour, self-efficacy and the attitude towards job flexibility, and to run Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression and t test to test the hypotheses. Findings The findings show that generation Z students have similar ITE and EE to colleagues from other generations. EE has a significant impact on increasing both IEO and ITE. Nevertheless, generation Z students have a higher need for achievement, a lower self-efficacy and are more open to a flexible labour market. Originality/value This paper explores a topic which has received little attention: the interest and capacity of generation Z students to develop their own business. The paper also analyses whether the EE offered by universities can play a role in this regard.

The Roles of Need for Achievement and Family Environment in Stimulating Entrepreneurial Interest through Self-Efficacy

“…Self-efficacy is defined as a person's belief in his/her ability to complete work, achieve goals, and overcome obstacles and challenges (Bellò et al, 2017). It is an inevitable element required to start and run a business (Dardiri et al, 2019;Frunzaru & Cismaru, 2018). Besides, it can increase students' confidence in their ability to succeed in entrepreneurship and launch new businesses (Fuller et al, 2018;Mei et al, 2017).…”

The relationship between individual entrepreneurial orientation, network ties, and entrepreneurial intention of undergraduate students: implications on entrepreneurial education

“…Many of these empirical studies (e.g. Koe 2016;Frunzaru and Cismaru 2018;Ladd et al 2019) have been analysed within the concept of EO proposed by Lumpkin and Dess (1996). What appears to be under-researched in the current empirical literature is the role of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) factors including risk-taking, innovation, and proactiveness on students' entrepreneurial intention as suggested by the action theory of entrepreneurship.…”

Individual entrepreneurial orientation, entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention: The mediating role of entrepreneurial motivations

“…Several researchers have examined the role of entrepreneurial orientation in determining entrepreneurial intention at the firm level and have found that it positively enhances entrepreneurial intention (Frunzaru and Cismaru, 2018; Robinson and Stubberud, 2014; Sahoo and Panda, 2019). However, studies on entrepreneurial intention have not fully examined the individual entrepreneurial concept, which considers proactiveness, innovativeness and risk-taking as entrepreneurial competencies (Anwar et al, 2021; Koe, 2016), and there appears to have been little work on the indirect effect of individual entrepreneurial orientation on the entrepreneurial intention of an individual.…”