Relevance of education for potential entrepreneurs: an international investigation

Purpose – Preparing today's students for success and eventual leadership in the new global marketplace is one of the most important responsibilities in education today. This study seeks to represent the first, in‐depth analysis of future entrepreneurs and to show that its results indicate that the investment in entrepreneurship education is valuable. Design/methodology/approach – A primary survey was conducted among first‐year Business Studies students from Australia, Portugal, Finland, Germany, Slovenia, Poland, the UK and the UAE. There were a total of 860 students, of whom 510 were female respondents. A five‐point Likert scale was used for each question and mean scores were generated from the ranks. Findings – Results indicated that the majority of students possessed entrepreneurial attitudes. Furthermore, both student characteristics and entrepreneurial experience were found to be associated with certain entrepreneurial attitudes. The results show that the young female students in Dubai are positive regarding the role that universities can play in fostering their interest towards entrepreneurship, for their education and as the incubator for their new venture. Practical implications – Significant scope was found for promotion of entrepreneurship in the education system in the United Arab Emirates. Emirati female students showed a high inclination to become entrepreneurs, provided that they undertook a specialized entrepreneurial Business Program. This research shows that students have a positive attitude towards entrepreneurship and it provides evidence, which urges action to advance entrepreneurship education globally. Originality/value – Both academia and practitioners have increased their efforts in promoting an entrepreneurial mindset within society. However, only a few studies have investigated entrepreneurial attitudes among students. This research shows that students have a positive attitude towards entrepreneurship and it provides evidence which urges action to advance entrepreneurship education globally.