This study investigates the effect of practical entrepreneurship education through Enactus entrepreneurial projects. Despite government initiatives such as the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) aimed at improving entrepreneurship in South Africa (SA), two phenomena are characteristic: (1) the country is among the least entrepreneurial nations; (2) Unemployed graduates’ lack of interest in entrepreneurship exacerbates high unemployment rates. Consequently, universities are incorporating practical entrepreneurship education into their curricula.
Enactus South Africa, as a typical example of university intervention into the problem, was studied with regard to its effect on student’s entrepreneurship intentions. The thinking is that, without access to jobs, entrepreneurship invariably becomes the alternative. Research into this phenomenon is still limited, and existing literature provides equivocal results.
The study took the form of quantitative research, to enable the researcher to collect data which would answer best the research question in hand. The findings of the study suggest that there is a positive relationship between Enactus entrepreneurial projects and students‟ entrepreneurship intentions. The research design was supportive in constructing the entire framework of the study. The study was descriptive in nature as essentially it aimed to determine the effect of the phenomena on Enactus students.
The population drawn on was Enactus SA, but the sample was taken from the Enactus National Competition 2013, which meant that only students who were representative per Higher Education Institution were sampled. It cannot therefore be assumed that the findings are generalizable to all Enactus SA students.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 CHAPTER OVERVIEW
1.2 INTRODUCTION
1.2.1 ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION
1.2.2 ENACTUS: AN EXTENSION OF ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION
1.3 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
1.3.1 ENACTUS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL KNOWLEDGE
1.3.2 ENACTUS AND PERSONAL ATTITUDE
1.3.3 ENACTUS AND PERCEIVED SOCIAL NORMS
1.3.4 ENACTUS AND SELF-EFFICACY
1.4 DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
1.4.1 RESEARCH PROBLEM
1.4.2 RESEARCH QUESTION
1.4.3 HYPOTHESES
1.5 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
1.6 STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS
1.6.1 SAMPLING
1.6.2 DATA COLLECTION
1.6.3 DATA ANALYSIS
1.6.4 VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY
1.6.5 ETHICS
1.7 CHAPTER OUTLINES
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
1.9 STUDY LIMITATIONS
1.10 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 CHAPTER OVERVIEW
2.2 LITERATURE REVIEW PROCESS
2.3 INTRODUCTION
2.4 CONCEPTUALISING ENTREPRENEURSHIP
2.4.1 ENTREPRENEURIAL PROCESS
2.4.2 ENTREPRENEURIAL LEARNING
2.4.3 ACADEMIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP LEARNING
2.4.4 TOTAL ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY
2.5 ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION AT UNIVERSITIES
2.5.1 ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION AND ITS CONCERNS
2.6 TOTAL ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY IN SOUTH AFRICA
2.6.1 SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP
2.7 DEFINING UNEMPLOYMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA
2.8 ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA
2.9 ENACTUS: AN ACTION-BASED ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION
2.10 ENTREPRENEURSHIP INTENTIONS MODEL
2.10.1 PERCEIVED DESIRABILITY
2.10.2 PROPENSITY TO ACT
2.10.3 PERCEIVED FEASIBILITY
2.10.4 PERSONAL ATTITUDE
2.10.5 SUBJECTIVE NORMS
2.10.6 PERCEIVED BEHAVIOURAL CONTROL
2.11 ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION AND ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS PROMOTION THROUGH ENACTUS ENTREPRENEURIAL PROJECTS
2.12 NEED FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION AND ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS
2.12 RESEARCH PROBLEM
2.13 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 CHAPTER OVERVIEW
3.2 INTRODUCTION
3.3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN
3.3.2 DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
3.3.3 POPULATION OF INTEREST
3.3.4 SAMPLE TARGET
3.3.5 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
3.3.6 SAMPLING SIZE
3.4 QUESTIONNAIRE
3.4.1 VARIABLES
3.4.2 DATA COLLECTION
3.4.3 PILOT STUDY OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE
3.5 DATA ANALYSIS
3.6 VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY
3.7 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
3.8 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 4 DATA ANALYSIS
4.1 CHAPTER OVERVIEW
4.2 INTRODUCTION
4.3 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF RESPONDENTS
4.3.1 RESPONDENTS PER UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE
4.4 RELIABILITY ANALYSIS
4.5 VALIDITY ANALYSIS
4.6 DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS
4.6.1 COMPARING GENDER REACTIONS PER VARIABLES
4.6.2 ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS LEVEL ACROSS GENDER
4.6.3 REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS LEVEL
4.7 HYPHOTHESES FINDINGS OF THE STUDY
4.8 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
4.9 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 5 RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
5.1 CHAPTER OVERVIEW
5.2 INTRODUCTION
5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY MAKERS
5.4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ENACTUS SOUTH AFRICA
5.5 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR UNIVERSITIES
5.6 OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
5.6.1 STUDY REFLECTIONS ON LITERATURE REVIEW
5.6.2 REFLECTIONS ON TOTAL ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY
5.6.3 STUDY REFLECTIONS ON RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
5.6.4 STUDY REFLECTIONS ON FINDINGS
5.7 LIMITATIONS TO FINDINGS
5.8 AREAS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
5.9 CONCLUSIONS
Research Objectives & Key Themes
This study aims to investigate the extent to which student participation in Enactus entrepreneurial projects influences their entrepreneurial intentions. By addressing the research gap regarding the efficacy of action-based entrepreneurship education, the study seeks to determine if practical intervention through Enactus provides an effective alternative to traditional theoretical curricula in stimulating students to pursue entrepreneurship as a viable career path in the face of high unemployment rates.
- Effect of practical, action-based entrepreneurship education on students.
- Investigation of entrepreneurial intentions using adapted TPB and SEE models.
- Impact of Enactus projects on student skills and attitudes towards starting businesses.
- Analysis of gender-based differences in entrepreneurial awareness and intentions within Enactus.
- Role of higher education institutions in promoting entrepreneurship to mitigate youth unemployment.
Excerpt from the Book
CONCEPTUALISING ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Entrepreneurship has been studied within many different contexts: it can be approached, for instance, from a practical or theoretical perspective (Bjerke, 2007). As a result, there are various opinions about its meaning. Scholars such as Crant (1996:43) described “entrepreneurship as the creation of new ventures”, Sobel (2008) viewed entrepreneurship as the process of discovering new ways of combining resources. Timmons (1999:27) defined “entrepreneurship as a way of thinking, reasoning, and acting that is opportunity obsessed, holistic in approach, and leadership balanced”. Emerging from the work of these scholars (Crant, 1996; Sobel, 2008; Timmons, 1999) is the clear understanding that entrepreneurship needs more action than theory. The failure rate of new ventures by young entrepreneurs is becoming a norm in entrepreneurship practice, while business creation is perceived as not an activity for young people but one that should be reserved for experienced people. Entrepreneurship education is therefore targeted at the normalization of students’ entrepreneurship engagement and encourages creativity (Carayannis, Evans & Hanson, 2003).
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION: This chapter provides a general overview of the study, outlines the theoretical framework, and defines the research problem, scope, and key concepts.
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW: This chapter examines existing literature on entrepreneurship intentions and education, focusing on action-based learning and the role of educational institutions.
CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: This chapter describes the quantitative research design, population, sampling techniques, and data collection methods used in the study.
CHAPTER 4 DATA ANALYSIS: This chapter presents the statistical analysis of the collected data, including the demographic profile, reliability and validity tests, and findings related to the hypotheses.
CHAPTER 5 RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS: This final chapter provides conclusions based on the research findings and offers recommendations for policy makers, universities, and Enactus South Africa.
Keywords
Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Intentions, Enactus, Higher Education, Youth Unemployment, Action-based learning, South Africa, Total Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA), Quantitative Research, Self-efficacy, Personal Attitude, Social Norms, Business Start-ups, Practical Education, Entrepreneurial Knowledge
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research focuses on the impact of practical entrepreneurship education, specifically through Enactus entrepreneurial projects, on the entrepreneurial intentions of university students in South Africa.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The central themes include the effectiveness of action-based learning, the role of universities in fostering entrepreneurship, the influence of psychological antecedents (such as attitudes and self-efficacy) on business intentions, and the challenges of high youth unemployment.
What is the main research question of the study?
The primary research question is: "To what extent does student participation in Enactus influence their entrepreneurial intentions?"
Which scientific methods are applied in the study?
The study adopts a quantitative research design and a descriptive cross-sectional approach, utilizing survey questionnaires, Chi-square tests, factor analysis, and linear regression to test the proposed models.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the theoretical foundations (TPB and SEE models), a comprehensive literature review on entrepreneurship in the South African context, the methodological approach, and a detailed analysis of quantitative data collected from Enactus members.
What are the key terms that characterize this study?
Key terms include Entrepreneurial Intentions, Enactus, Action-based Education, Total Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA), and Entrepreneurial Self-efficacy.
What unique findings were observed regarding gender?
The study found that female members of Enactus were influenced more positively by the projects than males, suggesting that Enactus programs play a significant role in enhancing the entrepreneurial awareness of female students.
What is the recommended relationship between Enactus and universities?
The researcher recommends that Enactus and universities should become interdependent, suggesting that practical training through Enactus should be integrated into university curricula to better prepare graduates for entrepreneurial careers.
- Quote paper
- Ndivhuho Tshikovhi (Author), 2014, The effect of practical entrepreneurship education in South Africa. Student entrepreneurship promotion through Enactus Entrepreneurial Projects, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/540255
