Title:
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An exploration of students' entrepreneurial experiences pursuing start-up intentions at university
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This study focused on exploring students entrepreneurial experiences pursuing business
start-up intentions at university. The main aim of the study was to explore students'
entrepreneurial intentions and transitions starting a business at university, to inform
educationalists and those that support entrepreneurial students in designing future support
and interventions.
A qualitative approach was taken in this study, with particular reference to
Constructivism (Denzin and Lincoln, 1994). A pre and post exploration of students'
intentions was designed in the research to explore the context of entrepreneurial students
across four universities. A more in-depth look into students' experiences starting a
business was conducted with small groups of 3-6 at each university using focus group
discussions. Lastly an in-depth unstructured interview was conducted using the Critical
Incident Technique (CIT) (Flanagan, 1954; Chell, 1998) to explore `critical incidents' in
the students' entrepreneurial experiences starting a business at university; case studies
were built from 5 students that had started a business and 5 that hadn't.
The results found that students' prior entrepreneurial interests, aspirations and family in
business were key motivators towards their desirability to start a business at university.
However, upon exploring and generating their ideas and intentions decided against
business start-up because of a lack of experience, funding and time. The enterprise
funding programme provided the feasibility for students to develop their intentions
further and engage in the development of their businesses whilst at university. The
enterprise funding programme was an attractive opportunity for those students that
initially decided against business start-up and it was found that the practical hands-on
learning experience was invaluable. The `critical incidents' that influenced students'
decision to start a business were; business idea viable, support from family and friends,
practical business training, experience gained, mentor and like-minded students. Those
that decided not to start a business indicated that particular non-effective `critical
incidents' influencing their decision were; their idea being unviable, personal
circumstances, a change of career interests and lack of family support. A model of the
transitions of the entrepreneurial students exploring start-up as a career option was
presented in the analysis, incorporating the implications to educationalists and those that
support entrepreneurial students in designing future support and interventions in the
conclusion.
The study's contribution to knowledge surrounds an improved understanding of the
transitions of students pursuing business start-up and their subsequent career destination
through the entrepreneurial transitions model. The use of the CIT method has identified
the complexities of students' business start-up experiences and the case studies provide
significant contribution. Furthermore, the CIT method highlighted in-depth understanding
of the impact of the `learning-by-doing' approach on the enterprise funding programme
which was found provided students with the experience and propensity to start a business
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