IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/alv/journl/v4y2022i2id215.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Crafting Innovativeness for Graduate Entrepreneurship Development in East Africa: Are Graduates Innovators or Imitators?

Author

Listed:
  • Paschal B. Nade

    (Department of Business Studies and Humanities, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (Tanzania))

Abstract

Innovation is a central determinant that contributes to entrepreneurs' pursuits of opportunities. It is the vehicle that carries the means to concur market and successful establishment of an enterprise. This study aimed at assessing graduates' innovativeness for entrepreneurship development by employing a cross-sectional research design. The study involved 124 respondents selected from a population of Master's students specialising in science subjects originating from East African countries. Objectives one and two were analysed descriptively via per cent and frequencies while objective three was analysed through inferential statistics where one sample T-test was employed for assessing the difference between innovation developed and innovation advanced to markets. The findings indicate that for all forms of innovation the level of innovation is relatively low since all the ratings were below 40 per cent. Similarly, the innovation advanced to the markets was respectively low compared to innovation developed. It is concluded that the level of innovation is limited among first-degree graduates specialising in science subjects in East African countries and the number of innovations advanced to the market for entrepreneurship development is relatively low compared to innovation developed. This calls for a review of the innovation process development in the higher learning education system. In addition, the recasting of enabling environment for innovation development is needed.

Suggested Citation

  • Paschal B. Nade, 2022. "Crafting Innovativeness for Graduate Entrepreneurship Development in East Africa: Are Graduates Innovators or Imitators?," Management & Economics Research Journal, Faculty of Economics, Commercial and Management Sciences, Ziane Achour University of Djelfa, vol. 4(2), pages 45-62, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:alv:journl:v:4:y:2022:i:2:id:215
    DOI: 10.48100/merj.2022.215
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mer-j.com/merj/index.php/merj/article/view/215
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.48100/merj.2022.215?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wim Naude & Adam Szirmai & Micheline Goedhuys, 2011. "Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries," Working Papers id:4460, eSocialSciences.
    2. Nawal Abdalla Adam & Ghadah Alarifi, 2021. "Innovation practices for survival of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the COVID-19 times: the role of external support," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 1-22, December.
    3. Winters, John V., 2014. "Foreign and Native-Born STEM Graduates and Innovation Intensity in the United States," IZA Discussion Papers 8575, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Mehmet Akif Demircioglu & David B Audretsch & Timothy F Slaper, 2019. "Sources of innovation and innovation type: firm-level evidence from the United States," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 28(6), pages 1365-1379.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Frida Thomas Pacho, 2018. "Diversified Network Effects on Innovation Performance in Tanzania: Innovation Strategy in Service Firms," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, Macrothink Institute, Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, vol. 5(1), pages 1-1, December.
    2. Alina Elena Iosif, 2015. "The Impact of Innovation on the National and Regional Competitiveness within the European Union," Acta Universitatis Danubius. OEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 11(2), pages 151-167, April.
    3. Amoa-Gyarteng, Karikari & Eserifa, Oyin-Emi, 2024. "Innovation Strategy and SME Survival: The Role of Organizational Adaptability," EconStor Conference Papers 298864, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    4. Norbert Bajkó & Zsolt Fülöp & Kinga Nagyné Pércsi, 2022. "Changes in the Innovation- and Marketing-Habits of Family SMEs in the Foodstuffs Industry, Caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic in Hungary," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-17, March.
    5. Hamood Mohammed Al-Hattami & Faozi A. Almaqtari, 2023. "What determines digital accounting systems’ continuance intention? An empirical investigation in SMEs," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Dinu Mihai & Mănescu Cătalin Octavian & Spiridon Carmen Elena & Mogoş Liliana & Ganea Otilia, 2024. "The Competitiveness of Financial Support Measures in the Context of the Pandemic," Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence, Sciendo, vol. 18(1), pages 770-778.
    7. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Neil Lee, 2020. "Hipsters vs. Geeks? Creative workers, STEM and innovation in US cities," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2021, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Apr 2020.
    8. Dr. Ravinder Rena, 2023. "An Overview on the Role of Innovation in Making Sustainable and Future-Ready Businesses," Indian Journal of Commerce and Management Studies, Educational Research Multimedia & Publications,India, vol. 14(1), pages 11-18, January.
    9. D’Amico, Elettra & Belitski, Maksim & Colombelli, Alessandra, 2023. "Evaluating Internal and External Knowledge Sources in Adopting Artificial Intelligence," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis LEI & BRICK - Laboratory of Economics of Innovation "Franco Momigliano", Bureau of Research in Innovation, Complexity and Knowledge, Collegio 202303, University of Turin.
    10. Hana Urbancová & Pavla Vrabcová, 2023. "Sustainability-oriented Innovation: Crucial Sources to Achieve Competitiveness," Journal of Economics / Ekonomicky casopis, Institute of Economic Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, vol. 71(1), pages 46-64, January.
    11. Ondřej Dvouletý, 2023. "A note on the effects of start-up competitions: experience from the Czech Business Plan Contest “Idea of the Year”," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, December.
    12. Philip Mark Plotch, 2024. "Innovation, collaboration, and chief innovation officers," Journal of Critical Infrastructure Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 5(1), pages 13-16, July.
    13. Lee, Jun-won, 2021. "Analysis of technology-related innovation characteristics affecting the survival period of SMEs: Focused on the manufacturing industry of Korea," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    14. Wai Wai Ko & Gordon Liu, 2017. "Environmental Strategy and Competitive Advantage: The Role of Small‐ and Medium‐Sized enterprises' Dynamic Capabilities," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(5), pages 584-596, July.
    15. Brunow, Stephan & Birkeneder, Antonia & Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés, 2018. "Creative and science-oriented employees and firm-level innovation," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 87588, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    16. Dr. Ishtiyaque Ahmed, 2023. "An Overview on the Crucial Nature of Innovation Strategies for Sustainable Businesses," Indian Journal of Commerce and Management Studies, Educational Research Multimedia & Publications,India, vol. 14(3), pages 21-29, September.
    17. Sebastiano Cattaruzzo & Agustí Segarra-Blasco & Mercedes Teruel, 2024. "Firm-level contributions to the R&D intensity distribution: evidence and policy implications," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(1), pages 45-65, January.
    18. Reeg, Caroline, 2015. "Micro and small enterprises as drivers for job creation and decent work," IDOS Discussion Papers 10/2015, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    19. Wang Xuhui & Jia Liu & Frida Pacho, 2018. "Societal, Culture and Entrepreneurial Opportunities Exploitation of New Venture Activities: Mediating Role of Proactiveness," International Journal of Regional Development, Macrothink Institute, vol. 5(2), pages 1-41, December.
    20. Morande, Swapnil & Arshi, Tahseen & Gul, Kanwal & Amini, Mitra, 2023. "Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence to Forecast Startup Success: An Empirical Evaluation of the SECURE AI Model," SocArXiv p3gyb, Center for Open Science.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Innovation; Graduates; Higher Learning Institution; Entrepreneurship;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:alv:journl:v:4:y:2022:i:2:id:215. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chihab Ilimi (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/fedjedz.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.