Abstract:

This study addresses the effects of the innovation-based entrepreneurship courses in the first years of higher education on the development of innovation intentions and entrepreneurship since the requirements of the markets have been changed in the last two decades. In order to meet the needs, the innovation-based entrepreneurship courses (IECs) have exponentially increased in higher education (HE) institutions around the world (Fretschner & Weber, 2013) and even in Turkey; nevertheless, there are few studies particularly in Turkey on how ICEs improve innovation intentions and entrepreneurship.

For that reason to analyze the effects of innovation-based entrepreneurship courses in the first years of higher education on the development of innovation intentions and entrepreneurship, the qualitative research had been strategically conducted. The primary goal of the qualitative data is to deeply understand ‘how’ these intentions of innovation, entrepreneurship, and courses were correlated by taking insights from the participants (21). By using a questionnaire that focused on innovation-based entrepreneurial intentions, the quantitative data were systematically collected. The semi-structured interviews helped the participants to clarify their undeclared experiences on their IECs. To understand the differences, some participants who did not attend IECs had also been taken. In that way, the main factors which helped the participants on the development of innovation intentions and entrepreneurship by taking serious actions in their career path. After the focused interviews were done on participants’ experiences, the data were analyzed by using NVivo, and the results were compared between the participants who attended IECs and not.

All the participants had clearly mentioned that they had start-up plans comparing to the participant who did not receive IECs. In other words, IECs had positive effects on participants’ intensions of becoming entrepreneurs. More importantly, they did not have only the ideas and intensions of becoming of innovation-based entrepreneurs but also the structure and the methodology of how to become entrepreneurs. However, the participants who had not received ICEs enabled to express their views freely since they did not have any ideas and any methodology although some of them wanted to become entrepreneurs. In this study, as both the participants who received and net received ICEs had mentioned that the HE management gave little attention to the ICEs. Even though they thought that they needed such courses for their future employment, there were not enough organizations to build up new networks. As both the participants had focused on how the inspiration and motivation encouraged them towards their desired goals and missions. As the participants mentioned they understood much better all the innovation-based entrepreneurial process by gaining practical skills and usable knowledge.

These innovation-based entrepreneurial learning ecosystems helped them in terms of self-confidence as well. This statement was clearly seen only among the participant who took ICEs. As a result, this study showed that ICEs should be given in the early years of HE, and they should be given to all the students without offering as elective courses. The structures and the contents should be updated according to the needs of the students.

Keywords:

Higher Education, Higher Education Management, Innovation-based Entrepreneurship Courses, Innovation, Entrepreneurship.