engleski

The social construction of entrepreneurship: How entrepreneurship education influences students’ perceptions

The aim of this paper is to examine how students in Croatia construct the concept of entrepreneur and what is the role of entrepreneurship education in creating students’ perceptions. The paradigmatic framework of the research is social constructivism, and in the methodological sense the study is based on a qualitative methodology. Primary data was collected by conducting semi structured interviews with 25 students from different faculties in the Republic of Croatia. Research findings show that our students perceive a typical entrepreneur as a person with excellent communication and listening skills, who is also very proactive, flexible and people-oriented, and has a strong desire to achieve and dedication to work. Students with less strong entrepreneurial education believe that entrepreneurs are driven primarily by material gain, senior students with strong entrepreneurial education or experience perceive the heterogeneity of goals and interests of entrepreneurs through entrepreneurship as a lifestyle and self-actualization. The image of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship among students involved in some form of entrepreneurship education is predominantly positive, sometimes reinforced by feelings of admiration, which differs significantly from the view of entrepreneurship within the wider community. Such results are optimistic as they confirm that quality entrepreneurship education could influence the gradual reshaping of social and cultural norms in a way that they would support the strengthening of entrepreneurial capacity in Croatia. In addition to the new empirical knowledge, the main contribution of the research includes a set of recommendations for practice directed to creators of entrepreneurship education programs in Croatia and other comparable countries.

social construction, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial education, qualitative approach

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