Abstract:

In an increasing complexed and globalized world, the development of skills and competences related to the identification of business opportunities is crucial for students to thrive in their professional lives.

The individual’s ability to identify, judge and decide on business opportunities was defined by Kirzner (1997) as entrepreneurial alertness. The capability to scan and search is considered the first step in entrepreneurial alertness which encompasses the acquisition of information and knowledge needed to innovate, explore business opportunities and take decisions. Despite several authors argue that this capability can be learned and improved (Tang, Kacmar, & Busenitz, 2012), there is still limited knowledge of how this capability can be developed.

Entrepreneurial learning experiences through formal entrepreneurship education (EE) or informal entrepreneurial activities have shown a positive impact on developing entrepreneurial skills and behavior in the case of higher education students (Almeida, Daniel, & Figueiredo, 2019). Therefore, it is relevant to analyze the role of those learning experiences in developing students’ entrepreneurial alertness to scanning and search (ASS).

Through a mixed-method approach, this study explores the role of Junior Enterprises (JEs) - student-led organizations that provide professional services to external stakeholders - and EE in fostering higher education students’ ASS and entrepreneurial intention (EI). Qualitative analysis is performed to identify the potential role of JEs in developing those skills, followed by a quantitative analysis based on a questionnaire to 515 students from 12 countries, using Tang, Kacmar, & Busenitz's (2012) ASS scale and Liñán & Chen's (2009) EI scale. Results show that students enrolled in JEs report higher levels of ASS, being this dimension a significant and positive driver of students’ EI when compared to the students that were just enrolled in EE or students that did not participate in either of those activities.

The findings suggest that formal and informal entrepreneurial learning experiences have a key role in fostering ASS. Thus, several implications can be drawn from the results obtained, such as the suggestion to integrate these activities in higher education teaching and learning strategies and to promote these learning experiences among the students. The future of our society depends on how we prepare young people for an uncertain and challenging world, entrepreneurial learning experiences are just a path to succeed in that.

Keywords:

Junior enterprises, entrepreneurship, higher education, practical education, alertness to scanning and search, entrepreneurial intention.