Engineers as entrepreneurs : entrepreneurial orientation of engineers in South Africa

Abstract

A positive relationship between economic growth and entrepreneurship has been widely established. The entrepreneur is the key player in the entrepreneurial venturing process. This paper primarily focuses on understanding the behavioural phenomenon of entrepreneurial orientation (EO), specifically that of engineers in the South African context. The assumed EO of entrepreneurial engineers was expected to be higher than that of non-entrepreneurial engineers; and this study found this to be true of some aspects of EO. Factor analysis results supported the view that the EO construct is unidimensional. A secondary situational analysis highlighted the lack of entrepreneurial education in South Africa.

’n Positiewe verwantskap tussen ekonomiese groei en entrepreneurskap is reeds wyd bevestig. Die entrepreneur is die kern rolspeler in die entrepreneuriese ondernemings-proses. Hierdie studie fokus primêr daarop om entrepreneuriese orientasie (EO) as ’n gedragsverskynsel van spesifiek ingenieurs in ’n Suid-Afrikaanse konteks te ondersoek. Die verwagting was dat die aangenome EO van entrepreneuriese ingenieurs hoër sou wees as dié van nie-entrepreneuriese ingenieurs en hierdie studie dien as bewys dat dit geldig is in veral sommige van die aspekte van EO. ’n Faktoranalise ondersteun die siening dat EO as ’n konstruk uni-dimensioneel is. ’n Sekondêre situasionele ontleding beklemtoon verder die gebrek aan entrepreneuriese opvoeding in Suid-Afrika.