CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The educational system is a key area where it is possible to intervene and present entrepreneurship as a viable alternative to dependent employment. The support for this view comes from a widely literature review of enterprise, entrepreneurship and business creation. The idea is also present in the European Union recommendations. (see Action plan to promote entrepreneurship and competitiveness – Best action plan and green paper on entrepreneurship) which refers to the promotion of entrepreneurship through the education system from primary school to university as a main goal.
Recent literature review evaluates or measure the impact of general education on entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial activity suggests some possible generalizations. Evidence suggesting a positive link between education and entrepreneurship is robust. “it is becoming clear that entrepreneurship or certain facet on it can be taught”. Most of the imperical studies indicate that entrepreneurship can be taught, at least encouraged by entrepreneurship education. In addition, the entrepreneurship role can be culturally and experimentally acquired and therefore influenced by education and training. Thus the present educational system should encourage the concept of an enterprise culture.
Works advance the idea that formal entrepreneurship education affects the attitudes of students, influencing them in the direction of future career and affect their propensity for entrepreneurship when they become adults. In this sense, the pedagogical approach should encourage children to make decisions and accept mistakes as part of their learning process, underline the importance to develop a common framework to evaluate, compare and improve the design of educational programs of entrepreneurship. It is important to create the right entrepreneurship environment at the educational institution. Entrepreneurial activities should be integrated into the programmes of the institution from an early stage and need to be supported by school culture. Thus, in entrepreneurship education literature, primary, secondary and tertiary schools have received growing attention and enterprise education programmes in tertiary schools were confirmed to be important for later entrepreneurial intentions. It is believed that the ideal stage to acquire basic knowledge about entrepreneurship and to foster a positive attitude towards entrepreneurship is during childhood and adolescence years.
The knowledge of student’s entrepreneurial characteristics that have more impact on entrepreneurial intentions can be an important contribution for the development of adequate educational programmes related with entrepreneurship and business creation. However, the study examines the role of locust of control on the start-up intention of higher institution students in Nigeria.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Despite the fact that the nation Nigeria is blessed with an enviable physical environment across the Geo-political zones, job placement for her teeming workforce has continued to be a challenge. To Afolabi et. al (2018) Paid job is grossly insufficient in Nigeria. Gone are the days when government and companies do scamper at the few graduates with mouthwatering offers, especially those who graduated with best of grades. It is disheartening to talk about the departure from good old days when graduates used to select among job options to the present age where University graduates have no hope of getting fixed up. Although entrepreneurial education was advocated through research and has been embraced by most of the Universities, it has not achieved the best of results because learning has not been tailored to enhance personality traits which have been substantiated by research reports as an influencer of entrepreneurial intentions.
This will lead to asking some pertinent research questions like:
What are the real factors that influence entrepreneurship intentions of undergraduate students? Other similar questions are:
i. Does ability to take risk with money influence entrepreneurial intention?
ii. Does love for tourism influence entrepreneurial intention?
iii. Does ability to spot opportunities first, influence entrepreneurial intention?
iv. Does self-confidence influence entrepreneurial intention?
v. Does ability to take up challenging things influence entrepreneurial intention?
vi. Does possession of required skills and capabilities influence entrepreneurial intention?
vii. Does quest to take advantage of situations influence entrepreneurial intention?
Hence, this study is conducted to investigate the role of locust of control on the start-up intention of higher institution students in Nigeria.