Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development

Business Students’ Interests in Entrepreneurship and Social Entrepreneurship at a Historically Black Institution
Falih M. Alsaaty, David Abrahams, Ella Carter

Abstract
Entrepreneurship has long been the catalyst for economic growth and change. More recently, social entrepreneurship has become an area that has globally garnered attention. In the current economic environment where jobs are difficult to find, many students are opting for more entrepreneurial career options rather than choosing traditional employment paths. This is especially true for minority students where the challenge of finding suitable employment is often more difficult for many of them than their white counterparts. Consequently, increasing numbers of students have expressed interest in entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship. The objective of this research study was to investigate the level of interest towards entrepreneurship or social entrepreneurship among students attending a Historically African American College or University. Approximately 1,005 students within the College of Business at Bowie State University were asked to participate in the study. The results of the study indicated that 23.9 percent of the respondents expressed interest in becoming business entrepreneurs, while 22.8 percent indicated they wanted to be social entrepreneurs. An implication of the study is that U.S. educational institutions are well advised to consider offering new (or additional) courses and/or programs designed to address dynamic student interests in both fields of entrepreneurship.

Full Text: PDF