Güneri S., Mróz M., Polat H., Skica T.
International Entrepreneurship Review, cilt.11, sa.3, ss.29-64, 2025 (ESCI)
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Yayın Türü:
Makale / Tam Makale
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Cilt numarası:
11
Sayı:
3
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Basım Tarihi:
2025
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Doi Numarası:
10.15678/ier.2025.1103.03
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Dergi Adı:
International Entrepreneurship Review
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Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler:
EBSCO Legal Collection, Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), ERIHPlus, Index Copernicus
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Sayfa Sayıları:
ss.29-64
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Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli:
Evet
Özet
Objective: This study extends beyond traditional research focused on entrepreneurial aspirations or cultural factors by proposing a universally applicable model to evaluate the entrepreneurial potential of both local and international students. It also aims to identify the characteristics of students with high entrepreneurial potential. By understanding these capabilities, higher education institutions can create more targeted and effective entrepreneurial education programs.
Research Design & Methods: This study explores the entrepreneurial potential among university students. We collected the data from 1 554 students studying at the University of Information Technology and Management (UITM) in Rzeszów, Poland. The study identifies four basic dimensions of entrepreneurship (creativity, motivation, locus of control, and risk-taking). Thus, its results determine students’ ‘entrepreneurial potential.’ We measured the reliability of the constructed dimensions by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. We implemented a confirmatory factor to confirm the factor structure and assess the model's goodness-of-fit to the data.
Findings: The study identifies statistically significant differences in entrepreneurial potential among diverse demographic groups and backgrounds. It highlights the defining characteristics of entrepreneurial students, offering a comprehensive understanding of the factors that drive student entrepreneurship.
Implications & Recommendations: The research introduces the student entrepreneurial potential scale as a globally applicable tool and thus enables universities to assess and understand the entrepreneurial potential of their student populations. This allows institutions to design customized and impactful entrepreneurial education programs.
Contribution & Value Added: The contribution to the literature is significant because of the UITM’s cultural diversity (one-quarter of students are international). The study included various demographic characteristics such as age, employment status, degree level, and country of origin. The comprehensive sample allowed us to create a profile of a student with high entrepreneurial potential. Such a student is typically a 19-21-year-old, studying programming, full-time in English at the undergraduate level, originating from Kazakhstan, China, or India.