Factors influencing the attitudes of final year undergraduate students towards entrepreneurship as a career option: A case-study at the University of Venda in Limpopo Province of South Africa
type: CreativeWork
description: Entrepreneurship is currently widely considered by government and other organisation bodies a means to reduce unemployment among young people. However, despite the South African government’s efforts to promote entrepreneurship as a career choice, most graduates still prefer to be employed. The purpose of this study was to explore and assess the various factors that influence the attitudes of a group of final year University of Venda students to choose entrepreneurship as a career option. The objectives of the study were to explore and assess four factors operating amongst these students which would be influencing their attitudes towards entrepreneurship: the influence of their entrepreneurial awareness, personality traits, environmental factors, as well as the constraints these students perceived themselves to face in choosing to make entrepreneurship, a career. In addition, the study sought to explore and assess the attitudes of academics and ENACTUS students towards the integration of entrepreneurship across disciplines at the university. The study employed a descriptive research design that applies both quantitative and qualitative approaches in order to obtain an in-depth understanding of the research topic. Primary data were collected from the sampled students, lecturers, Heads of Department (HODs), deans, and ENACTUS members from the eight schools at the University. The target population of the study was 3096 final year undergraduate students. These included both those involved, and those not involved, in entrepreneurship, as well as 192 lecturers, 118 HODs and the eight deans of the university’s eight schools. Profiles and background Information regarding undergraduate final year students was obtained from the Department of Postgraduate students, while profile information regarding the lecturers, HODs, and deans was obtained from the Department of Human Resources. Data for the quantitative phase of the research were collected from a self-administered question…
abstract: Entrepreneurship is currently widely considered by government and other organisation bodies a means to reduce unemployment among young people. However, despite the South African government’s efforts to promote entrepreneurship as a career choice, most graduates still prefer to be employed. The purpose of this study was to explore and assess the various factors that influence the attitudes of a group of final year University of Venda students to choose entrepreneurship as a career option. The objectives of the study were to explore and assess four factors operating amongst these students which would be influencing their attitudes towards entrepreneurship: the influence of their entrepreneurial awareness, personality traits, environmental factors, as well as the constraints these students perceived themselves to face in choosing to make entrepreneurship, a career. In addition, the study sought to explore and assess the attitudes of academics and ENACTUS students towards the integration of entrepreneurship across disciplines at the university. The study employed a descriptive research design that applies both quantitative and qualitative approaches in order to obtain an in-depth understanding of the research topic. Primary data were collected from the sampled students, lecturers, Heads of Department (HODs), deans, and ENACTUS members from the eight schools at the University. The target population of the study was 3096 final year undergraduate students. These included both those involved, and those not involved, in entrepreneurship, as well as 192 lecturers, 118 HODs and the eight deans of the university’s eight schools. Profiles and background Information regarding undergraduate final year students was obtained from the Department of Postgraduate students, while profile information regarding the lecturers, HODs, and deans was obtained from the Department of Human Resources. Data for the quantitative phase of the research were collected from a self-administered question…
author: Netshilinganedza, Tendani Robert
language: en
keywords: Attitude, Career choice, Final university students, Graduate, Entrepreneurship
date published: 2020
date modified: 2026-07-27T21:57:24Z
provider: University of Venda
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Venda

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11602/1540