How action-oriented entrepreneurship training transforms university students into entrepreneurs: insights from a qualitative study

Abstract

This paper provides insights into how action-oriented entrepreneurship training transforms university students into entrepreneurs. Understanding the process through which students become re-orientated to change their mindsets from expecting to get formal employment to embracing self-hire and actually starting their own businesses is important for motivating researchers and policy-makers to support action-oriented training. We qualitatively explored the effect of STEP (Student Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion), an action-oriented training program delivered to university students. We conducted seventeen semi-structured interviews with STEP recipients. We applied an inductive approach to the analysis of qualitative data. Findings revealed that transformation occurred through a step-by-step process with participants first experiencing empowerment due to the human and psychological capitals developed during the training. This empowerment coupled with appreciation of entrepreneurship and confirmation of its do-ability motivated recipients to adopt of a new career perspective and ignited in them a commitment to stay the course. We conclude that action-oriented training can transform recipients into real entrepreneurs through empowerment, appreciation, and confirmation of do-ability. The implication is that action-oriented training should be emphasized as an integral aspect of a strategy to address the problem of youth unemployment and general expansion of economic activity. Suggestions for future research are given.

RÉSUMÉ

Cet article offre un aperçu de la manière dont une formation à l’entrepreneuriat orientée vers l’action transforme les étudiants universitaires en entrepreneurs. Il est important de comprendre le processus par lequel les étudiants se réorientent pour changer leur mentalité et passer de l’attente d’un emploi formel à l’auto-emploi et à la création effective de leur propre entreprise. Qualitativement, nous avons exploré l’effet du STEP (Student Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion), un programme de formation orienté vers l’action dispensé aux étudiants universitaires. Nous avons conduit dix-sept entretiens semi-structurés avec des bénéficiaires du STEP. Nous avons appliqué une approche inductive à l’analyse des données qualitatives. Les résultats révèlent que la transformation s’est produite par un processus progressif, les participants ayant d’abord fait l’expérience de l’autonomisation grâce au capital humain et au capital psychologique développés au cours de la formation. Associée à l’appréciation de l’esprit d’entreprise et à la confirmation de la capacité d’action, cette autonomisation a motivé les bénéficiaires à adopter une nouvelle perspective de carrière et suscité en eux l’engagement de maintenir le cap. Nous concluons que la formation orientée vers l’action peut transformer ses bénéficiaires en véritables entrepreneurs par l’autonomisation, l’appréciation, et la confirmation de la capacité d’action. Cela implique que la formation orientée vers l’action doit être mise en avant comme caractéristique intégrale d’une stratégie visant à traiter du problème du chômage chez les jeunes et de l’expansion générale de l’activité économique. Des suggestions pour de futures recherches sont faites.

Keywords:

• Entrepreneurship
• human capital
• psychological capital
• empowerment
• Tanzania

Mots-clés:

• Entrepreneuriat
• capital humain
• capital psychologique
• autonomisation
• Tanzanie

Acknowledgements

We thank the three anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments. We particularly thank the associate editor, Étienne St-Jean for thoughtful advice. We are also grateful to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for funding this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lemayon L. Melyoki

Lemayon L. Melyoki is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He researches and publishes in the areas of entrepreneurship, management (leadership), and governance. His publications have appeared in the Journal of Extractives and Society, Journal of Rural and Community Development, Journal of Business and Economics, Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (forthcoming), and Business Management Review.

Michael M. Gielnik

Michael M. Gielnik is Professor of HR Development at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany. He serves as a Field Editor of the Journal of Business Venturing for the area of Psychology of Entrepreneurship. His research focuses on entrepreneurship from a psychological perspective, in particular entrepreneurship training and training transfer.