THE ROLE OF LOCUS OF CONTROL ON THE START-UP INTENTION OF HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

THE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The educational system is a key area where it is possible to intervene and present entrepreneurship as a viable alternative to dependent employment. The support for this view comes from a widely literature review of enterprise, entrepreneurship and business creation. The idea is also present in the European Union recommendations. (see Action plan to promote entrepreneurship and competitiveness – Best action plan and green paper on entrepreneurship) which refers to the promotion of entrepreneurship through the education system from primary school to university as a main goal.

Recent literature review evaluates or measure the impact of general education on entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial activity suggests some possible generalizations. Evidence suggesting a positive link between education and entrepreneurship is robust. “it is becoming clear that entrepreneurship or certain facet on it can be taught”. Most of the imperical studies indicate that entrepreneurship can be taught, at least encouraged by entrepreneurship education. In addition, the entrepreneurship role can be culturally and experimentally acquired and therefore influenced by education and training. Thus the present educational system should encourage the concept of an enterprise culture.

Works advance the idea that formal entrepreneurship education affects the attitudes of students, influencing them in the direction of future career and affect their propensity for entrepreneurship when they become adults. In this sense, the pedagogical approach should encourage children to make decisions and accept mistakes as part of their learning process, underline the importance to develop a common framework to evaluate, compare and improve the design of educational programs of entrepreneurship. It is important to create the right entrepreneurship environment at the educational institution. Entrepreneurial activities should be integrated into the programmes of the institution from an early stage and need to be supported by school culture. Thus, in entrepreneurship education literature, primary, secondary and tertiary schools have received growing attention and enterprise education programmes in tertiary schools were confirmed to be important for later entrepreneurial intentions. It is believed that the ideal stage to acquire basic knowledge about entrepreneurship and to foster a positive attitude towards entrepreneurship is during childhood and adolescence years.

The knowledge of student’s entrepreneurial characteristics that have more impact on entrepreneurial intentions can be an important contribution for the development of adequate educational programmes related with entrepreneurship and business creation.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

It is not an over statement stating that no business start up can strive successfully with out its own teething problems, an so this work enumerated some of the problems which are paramount to start up intention among the students of higher institutions

What is the entrepreneurial intention of students of higher institution?
What is the effect of locus of control on the start up intention?