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Entrepreneurial potential in Business and Engineering courses … why worry now?

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  • Aurora A.C. Teixeira

    (INESC Porto; CEMPRE, Faculdade de Economia, Universidade do Porto)

Abstract

Research on entrepreneurship potential targeting university students is emerging. However, it is in general focused on one school-one course. Few studies analyze the differences in entrepreneurial propensity between students of different subjects. In this paper we analyze the magnitude of this propensity in engineering and economics/business courses. The reason for such focus is that traditionally these courses are viewed as the ones concentrating individuals that are more likely to create new ventures. The empirical results, based on a large-scale survey of 2430 final-year students, reveal that no statistical difference exists in entrepreneurial potential of economics/business and engineering students, and that these two latter groups have lower entrepreneurial potential than students from other courses. This result proves to be quite unfortunate given the focus that previous studies have placed on these two majors, and the fact that a substantial part of entrepreneurial education is undertaken in business and engineering schools.

Suggested Citation

  • Aurora A.C. Teixeira, 2007. "Entrepreneurial potential in Business and Engineering courses … why worry now?," FEP Working Papers 256, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    • Handle: RePEc:por:fepwps:256
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    File URL: http://www.fep.up.pt/investigacao/workingpapers/07.12.07_wp256.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Aurora A.C. Teixeira & Todd Davey, 2008. "Attitudes of Higher Education students to new venture creation: a preliminary approach to the Portuguese case," FEP Working Papers 298, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Entrepreneurship; Students; Business; Engineering;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups

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