Entrepreneurship of university students: Important factors and the propensity for entrepreneurship

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to analyze the propensity for entrepreneurship shown by university students arising from the state support of entrepreneurship and the quality of higher education. Part of this goal includes a comparison of the defined factors between the Czech Republic and Slovakia. To fulfil such research objectives, we conducted a survey among university students in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In total, we surveyed 409 students from the Czech Republic and 568 students from Slovakia. To verify the stated scientific hypotheses, we used regression analysis and Z-score. The results of our research delivered some interesting findings. Even though Czech university students rated the state support of entrepreneurship and the quality of education higher compared to their Slovak peers, they declared a statistically lower inclination for entrepreneurship. The regression model between interest in entrepreneurship and the state support of entrepreneurship combined with the quality of higher education in the Czech Republic is not statistically significant. This model is statistically significant in Slovakia. The variability of the selected independent variables - state support of entrepreneurship and quality of higher education – accounts for 88% of the variance of student interest in entrepreneurship in the Czech Republic. The variability of selected independent variables explains only 38% of the variance of student interest in entrepreneurship in the Slovak Republic. © 2017, Academy of Economic Studies from Bucharest. All rights reserved.