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Comparative analysis of the predictors of entrepreneurial intent and self-efficacy of UK engineering undergraduates Evidence from the CMI Education for High Growth Innovation (EHGI) Research Group Evidence Based Policies and Indicator Systems Conference. Policy
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Comparative analysis of the predictors of entrepreneurial intent and self-efficacy of UK engineering undergraduates Evidence from the CMI Education for High Growth Innovation (EHGI) Research Group Evidence Based Policies and Indicator Systems Conference
Policy • Self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intent • Survey and results • Conclusions
Policy • UK Government has funded several programmes for enhancement of entrepreneurship and enterprise • HEIF, CMI, SEC • HE Sector has responded by increasing number and variety of activities in this area • Environment changing • Economic changes • Technological change • Issue – how to measure effectiveness and guide policy?
Self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intent • Self-efficacy is concerned with confidence • Entrepreneurial intent indicates future ambitions and plans • In general, people with self-efficacy are successful in a variety of areas • A ‘virtuous spiral’ • Make positive choices • Attempt tasks • Innovation, opportunity recognition, and entrepreneurship linked to self-efficacy
Self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intent • Factors that increase self-efficacy • Actual performance of the task • Learning by failure • Observing others • Self-efficacy for entrepreneurship can be enhanced though • Teaching • Guest lectures • Projects • Work experience
Survey and results • Education for High Growth Innovation • Cambridge, Edinburgh, Lancaster, Sheffield, Strathclyde, York, MIT • Spring 2004 – pilot work • Autumn 2004 – initial survey • 2711 replies • 492 engineering undergraduates • Assessed impact of the 3rd year
Survey and results • Outcome metrics • Self-efficacy items • Know the steps you would take to place a financial value on a new business venture • Work with a supplier to get better prices that help a new venture become successful • Pick the right marketing approach for the introduction of a new kind of service • Recruit the right employees for a new project or venture • Estimate accurately the costs of running a new project • Recognize when an idea is good enough to support a major business venture
Survey and results • Outcome metrics • Entrepreneurial intent items • “At least once I have to take a chance and start my own company;” • “If I see an opportunity to join a start-up company in the next few years, I will take it.” • “I often think about ideas and ways to start a business;” • “The idea of high risk/high pay-off ventures appeals tome.”
Survey and results • General • Men consistently report higher levels of self-efficacy • Respondents whose fathers run their own business have higher entrepreneurial intent • These findings agree with literature on this subject and indicate the students in this survey are like others studied elsewhere
Survey and results • Strong culture of using real-world examples • 73.4% indicated industry examples were used in the classroom at least weekly • 48% say their lecturers talked about jobs in industry. • Both relate to self-efficacy • 6.5% say their lecturer talked about personal start-up experience weekly • 26.8% reported working on open-ended problems • Both relate to entrepreneurial intent • Examined impact of 3rd year • No significant relationships were found
Survey and results • Students who take an enterprise course are more likely to be placed in industry work close to their course of study • The strongest predictor of venturing self-efficacy is the closeness of study and work experience • Closeness of the work experience to study area has no effect on entrepreneurial intent • Taking courses in entrepreneurship, but not business courses, relates to higher levels of entrepreneurial intent • More intensive courses relate more strongly
Conclusions • The background factors of gender and a father who runs a business are important sources of entrepreneurial confidence and motivation • Future studies should use these as controls • The other factors which predict venturing self-efficacy represent authenticity of experience • Authenticity appears to require a strong tie between the nature of the work experience and the area of study
Conclusions • Innovation follows on from self-confidence therefore it would seem that industry placements are very important in an education context • The average age of an entrepreneur is 35, how best to measure effectives of education programmes? • Trajectory metrics