Students’
Attitudes Towards Entrepreneurship in the Technnological Educational Institute (T.E.I.)
of Serres
Nikolaos
Karanassios MBA
As.
Professor of TEI Serres,
Born
in Em. Papas, Serres,
Faculty of
Economic and Business,
Department
of Business Administration,
C.E.O. of
the Serres EC Business and
Phone
+30/232120/49229, Fax +30/23210/45716
E-mail: nk@teiser.gr
Christos
G. Bogas MSc.
Lecturer of
Finance in TEI Serres,
Born in Serres 1969,
Faculty of
Economic and Business,
Department
of Business Administration,
C.E.O.
of Diavlos Finance A.E.L.D.E.
Phone
+30/23210/98230, Fax +30/23210/27742
E-Mail: gbogas@ser.forthnet.gr
Abstract
The focus of this paper is to explore the attitudes of students in the
mid and last semesters of their studies, towards entrepreneurship. The study
sample was comprised of 120 students of both sexes that study in different
fields, in the Technological Educational Institute (T.E.I.) of Serres. The
questionnaire was prepared and distributed by the same team of professors that
were responsible of the statistical analysis of the findings. It included not
only questions concerning the tendencies of the students towards entrepreneurship,
but also critical information about their social background and attitudes
towards consumerism and different aspects of living. It also touched on the
valuation of motives considered by the students in order to make their choices
concerning employment and entrepreneurship. The findings of the survey were
analyzed and the appropriate statistical results were extracted. These results
cover the attitudes of the students and their causes behind them. The team
preparing the study feels confident that the results will be of help to anybody
trying to alleviate the problems the students are faced with concerning
entrepreneurship and offer a guide as to what steps can be taken to achieve the
results demanded.
THE SAMPLE TAKEN FOR THE SURVEY
The sample used was comprised of hundred and ten (110) students
attending all the Departments (Business Administration, Accounting, Mechanical
Engineering, Civil Engineering, Informatics and Communications, Geoinformatics and Surveying) in the Technological
Educational Institute of Serres (T.E.I.
of Serres). All the participants have finished the
first year of their studies, as it can be seen in the Graph 1, because, we felt
that first year students still lack the experience to formulate informed
opinions and attitudes towards entrepreneurship. The participants are almost
equally divided based on their gender, although no
special effort was made for that, since they were selected randomly. In the
sample forty seven per cent (47%) are male and fifty three per cent (53%) are female.
(Graph 2) Of the male participants only six per cent (6%) have completed their
mandatory army service, as presented in Graph 3.
The participating students’ place of origin is
presented in Table 1, where it can easily be observed that their vast majority
comes from Northern Greece (Macedonia and Thrace) and the largest percentage
for a single place of origin comes from the Prefecture of Thessaloniki,
with thirty six percent (36%) of the total, followed by the Prefecture of Serres with twenty three percent (23%). It should be noted that most of the
prefectures of
The vast majority of the participants come from urban
areas. In fact, given the still low mobility of the population within the
country and the answers given to the questions “where does you family lives”
(presented in Graph 5) and the percentage of house and apartment ownership of
the participants families (presented in Graph 6), indicating permanency of
living in the specific area – city, we conclude that almost seventy five
percent (75%) come from an urban area (city with more or with less fifty
thousand inhabitants) and only twenty five percent (25%) come from rural areas
(villages or towns with more or with less than thousand inhabitants). It is
widely accepted that young people in urban areas receive more stimuli
concerning entrepreneurship and have more opportunities to observe and
experience business activity than those in rural areas.
The majority of the participating students, with a percentage of fifty nine percent (59%), come from four members families that is considered the average in the country. Also, a fair percentage of twenty-one percent (21%) of the participants come from slightly larger families of five members; that may include a grandparent. Only four and a half percent (4,5%) of the students come from six and seven members’ families, while approximately seven percent (7%) have not filled accurately this part of the questionnaire. (Graph 7) Only twenty-five percent (25%) of the participating students were working at the time of the survey (Graph 8) and out of them only thirty seven percent (37%) were working on positions relevant to their field of study. (Graph 9) This finding can be attributed to the fact that not enough working positions are available to the selected fields of study in the area, as well as the fact that the students are pressured to work part-time, with flexible hours that allow them to attend their courses and not to interrupt their studies.
Only one percent (1%) of the sample has participated in the SOCRATES educational program (Graph 10), two percent (2%) have participated in any of the Institute’s Research Program (Graph 11), although a majority of fifty-two percent (52%) would be willing to participate. (Graph12) Finally, forty-five percent (45%) would be willing to spend a semester of their studies abroad (Graph 13).
FINDINGS
CONCERNING ENTREPRENEURSHIP
A series of questions were included in the survey in order to determine what the attitude of the participating students is towards entrepreneurship. We recognized key factors that may influence the students towards a favorable attitude and based our findings on them.
The first relevant key factor was whether the participants were already informed about entrepreneurship in a personal way rather than just reading about it or receiving information through their studies or other sources. In order to decide that we asked the participants whether a close relative of theirs (including their parents) currently has any business activity. The results, presented in Graph 14, indicate that forty-four percent (44%) have a relative that is in business. This is consistent with the findings concerning the participants’ parents’ occupations that will be presented in the next paragraph. As for the type of business activity exercised, the majority is focused on commerce and services with a sixty six percent (66%), followed by small-scale manufacturing at nineteen percent (19%) and industry with the remaining percentage of fifteen percent (15%). (Graph 15) The fairly large percentage of participants that have a close relative in business reveals that they are able to examine from the inside the opportunities and the problems presented and make up their own minds whether they would like to create a business or not in the future.
Continuing on the previous point made, it would be helpful to examine the participants’ parents’ occupations. The largest single percentage for the fathers is in the self-employed category – including all businessmen and most professionals - at thirty eight percent (38%) of the total. The second largest category is fathers that are employed in private companies at twenty percent (20%) and is followed closely by the civil servant category at nineteen percent (19%). (Graph 16) For the mothers we have a very different picture, because a staggering forty five percent (45%) is not employed and is staying at home. From the remaining, eighteen percent (18%) are employed in private companies, fifteen percent (15%) are civil servants and only twelve percent (12%) are self-employed. (Graph 17) As already mentioned we believe that the relatives’ and parents’ professions are relevant, because they influence to a large degree their attitudes towards entrepreneurship and they, in turn, influence their children accordingly. Furthermore, the close “insider’s look” in they way things work in the business world is a valuable experience in itself.
The next series of questions constitutes a more direct approach to the participating students’ attitudes towards entrepreneurship. When asked them in what type of organization they would prefer to work during their semester of practice, thirty-nine percent (39%) declared a public service is their first choice, as opposed to twenty three percent (23%) that would prefer a manufacturing enterprise and twenty seven percent (27%) a professional’s office. (Graph 18) The strong tendency towards the public sector (state) employment is more remarkable combined with the results of the next question that considers the motives behind the choices made. It turns out that the strongest motive of the students to have their semester of practice selections is the opportunity to be hired in the same sector after their graduation (thirty five percent – 35%). Therefore, it can be concluded that the previously mentioned thirty-nine percent that would like to work in the public sector during their semester of practice would also like to be hired there after their graduation. Other motives that are important to the students are “the opportunity to improve their skills” with twenty six percent (26%) of the total, “a guaranteed monthly salary” with twenty percent (20%), that reveals the insecurity the students feel about their future careers and further supports the preference towards working in the public sector, and finally “the opportunity to adjust to a competitive environment” with thirteen percent (13%) of the total as the first choice. (Graph 19)
Family expectations are an important factor that may influence the opinions and attitudes of the students towards entrepreneurship. As it can be seen in Graph 20, thirty nine percent (39%) of the families of the participating students would like to see them having a career as civil servants. Another seventeen percent (17%) of the participants’ families would like to see them working as executives in private enterprises, while thirteen percent (13%) would prefer them to have an industrialist’s career, with the careers of merchants and small-scale manufacturer being in the last places of preference with two percent (2%) and one percent (1%) respectively. It is obvious that the priority is placed on “dependent” working positions, with a total percentage of fifty-six percent (56%) versus entrepreneurial activity that in all its forms accumulates a lower forty-four percent (44%). It can be assumed that the participants’ families would like to see them obtaining salaried positions, i.e. having a guaranteed monthly income, rather than trying to succeed in the business world.
The participating students’
aspirations are remarkably similar to their parents’. When asked what would be
their first choice of working activities, thirty nine percent (39%) of them
rated “civil servant” as their first choice, twenty percent (20%) preferred to
become self-employed professionals, eighteen percent (18%) would like to become
executives for a private enterprise, eleven percent (11%) would like to become
industrialists, five percent (5%) would prefer to be employed in an
organization (it was not specified whether the organization would be public,
closely connected to the state, or not), five percent (5%) would like to work
as merchants and only two percent (2%) would prefer the career of a small-scale
manufacturer. (Graph 22) As in the previous case “dependent” working positions
are the first choice of the students with sixty-two percent (62%). The results
are consistent with those of the previous questions. Specific mention should be
made to the fact that thirty nine percent (39%) – the preference to be civil
servants - is the percentage that appears steadily in the preferences in the
last three questions that are connected to each other. This marks a strong
tendency towards the public sector that cannot be ignored. We believe that the
main factor influencing the participating students to make this choice is the
job and income stability the public sector offers as opposed to the instability
and insecurity in entrepreneurship. This
belief of ours is in accordance with the results when the participants were
asked about their life ambition where forty five percent (45%) answered that
their primary ambition in life is to become independent, followed by the answer
“to create a happy family” at twenty two percent (22%) and “to become
important” at twelve percent (12%).
Finally, the last segment of the questionnaire was relevant to the desire or not of the participating students to approach entrepreneurship as a knowledge component that may prove useful for their future. The first questions aimed for us to understand the degree of understanding of entrepreneurship by the participants. The answers to the question: “To what degree do you understand entrepreneurship as: The various “ resulted as expected. The students have an idea of what entrepreneurship is but the information they have received is not completely clear in their minds and there appears to be some vagueness. Only three percent (3%) do not understand the phrase at all, as opposed to eleven percent (11%) that declare they understand it perfectly. Thirty nine percent (39%) understand it “Very Much”, thirty three percent (33%) understand it “So and So” and fourteen percent (14%) understand it “ A Little”. (Graph 23) However, the vast majority (eighty nine percent – 89%) would like to obtain some basic knowledge and to have the appropriate guidance during their studies in order to create their own enterprise after graduating. (Graph 24) This proves that the choices made are more a matter of practicality and necessity than a negative attitude towards entrepreneurship. Furthermore, most of the participants would be willing to take additional optional courses, in the frame of their studies and provided that it would not influence the attendance of their other courses. In fact, an impressive eighty five percent (85%) has answered affirmatively, although it would be more study work for them. (Graph 25) This proves that the participants are willing to put in the effort to improve their knowledge and understanding of entrepreneurship and probably improve their chances of applying them if they are given the opportunity.
TABLE 1
|
ΝΟΜΟΣ |
PREFECTURE |
PERCENTAGE |
|
ΑΙΤΩΛΟΑΚΑΡΝΑΝΙΑ |
AITOLOAKARNANIA |
1,82% |
|
ΑΤΤΙΚΗ |
ATTIKI |
4,54% |
|
ΒΟΙΩΤΙΑ |
VOIOTIA |
1,82% |
|
ΓΡΕΒΕΝΑ |
GREVENA |
0,91% |
|
ΔΡΑΜΑ |
DRAMA |
0,91% |
|
ΕΒΡΟΣ |
EVROS |
4,54% |
|
ΕΥΡΥΤΑΝΙΑ |
EURITANIA |
0,91% |
|
ΗΜΑΘΙΑ |
IMATHIA |
0,91% |
|
ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ |
THESSALONIKI |
36,36% |
|
ΚΕΡΚΥΡΑ |
KERKIRA |
1,82% |
|
ΚΙΛΚΙΣ |
KILKIS |
3,63% |
|
ΚΟΖΑΝΗ |
KOZANI |
2,73% |
|
ΚΥΠΡΟΣ |
CYPRUS |
1,82% |
|
ΛΑΡΙΣΑ |
LARISA |
0,91% |
|
ΛΑΣΙΘΙ |
LASITHI |
0,91% |
|
ΜΑΓΝΗΣΙΑ |
MAGNESIA |
0,91% |
|
ΜΕΣΣΗΝΙΑ |
MESINIA |
0,91% |
|
ΞΑΝΘΗ |
KSANTHI |
0,91% |
|
ΠΕΛΛΑ |
PELLA |
0,91% |
|
ΠΙΕΡΙΑ |
PIERIA |
1,82% |
|
ΣΕΡΡΕΣ |
SERRES |
22,73% |
|
ΤΡΙΚΑΛΑ |
TRIKALA |
0,91% |
|
ΦΛΩΡΙΝΑ |
FLORINA |
3,63% |
|
ΧΑΛΚΙΔΙΚΗ |
HALKIDIKI |
1,82% |
|
ΧΑΝΙΑ |
CHANIA |
0,91% |
GRAPH 1
GRAPH 2
GRAPH 3
GRAPH 4
GRAPH 5
GRAPH 6
GRAPH 7
GRAPH 8
GRAPH 9
GRAPH 10
GRAPH 11
GRAPH 12
GRAPH 13
GRAPH 14
GRAPH 15
GRAPH 16
GRAPH 17
GRAPH 18
GRAPH 19
GRAPH 20
GRAPH 21
GRAPH 22
GRAPH 23
GRAPH 24
GRAPH 25
CONCLUSIONS
It is not a surprise that the survey has shown a relevant
willingness of the students to turn into entrepreneurship, while they seek more
skills from their public education in business matters. All of the initial hypotheses
have been verified by the survey, justifying so the inclusion of business
studies in all of the curricula of the Technological Education Institutes.
Previous efforts to establish work teams with an
ambition to evolve as small knowledge and technology oriented companies did not
work properly. The survey has shown some reasons that have to be tested in the
future application of the business training project and the guidance of
students in their business inspirations.
The survey was intentionally limited to the studies
environment, as a bottoms-up approach, setting aside the overall economic
environment. While not clearly evident by the survey, there seems to be a
direct dependence between the decision to start business and involvement in Higher
Education Research projects.
In the horizons to discover there is a suspicion of
light, illuminating entrepreneurship of the members of academia, as both a relatively
desired and historically necessary, which has to be considered and
inspirational to all parties involved.
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