CFP: Graduate entrepreneurship in developing countries (Education + Training)

[entrepreneurship-phd at lists.uni-due.de]

Special issue call for papers from Education + Training
Graduate entrepreneurship in developing countries: Intentions and education 
Guest Editors: Dr. Ghulam Nabi, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK (G.Nabi at mmu.ac.uk), and Prof. Francisco Liñán, University of Seville, Spain (flinan at us.es).
 
The main aim of this special issue is to explore graduate entrepreneurship in the developing world (low and middle income countries). Whilst accepting the debate around the meaning of graduate entrepreneurship, in broad terms, it can be defined as the interaction between the graduate (as the product of university education) and entrepreneurship (in terms of an individual's career-orientation and mindset towards new venture creation) (ISBA Consortium, 2004; Nabi, Holden and Walmsley, 2006).
 
In this special issue, we seek to examine some of the issues and challenges in the field of graduate entrepreneurship from a diverse range of developing countries in Europe, Asia (East, Central, South), Africa (North and Sub-Saharan), Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The motivation for this theme is that, despite increasing attention on graduate entrepreneurship in developed countries, for example, by bodies such as the European Commission and the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship, there remains a paucity of research on entrepreneurial intentions and enterprise/ entrepreneurship education in developing countries. We classify "developing" in terms of low or middle-income economies as defined by the World Bank (see web link later). 

There are a number of studies finding a positive attitude of university students towards enterprise and small business (Birdthistle, 2008). Dickson, Solomon and Weaver (2008) review the literature, finding that entrepreneurship education is related to becoming an entrepreneur and to entrepreneurial success. The relationship between university education in general and entrepreneurship is not so strong. However, business graduates and students are less attracted towards being organisational employees (Duffy and Stevenson, 1984). Intense competition, cost cutting pressures, and acquisitions and take-overs have resulted in large company restructuring. This has undermined traditional values such as employee loyalty, security, and ownership of results. Consequently, more and more business students view the possibility of starting and operating their own business as a viable alternative to being employed in an established company. 

Nevertheless, these studies have normally been carried out in developed countries. For the British Islands, Harrison and Hart (1989) reported on a sample of Northern Ireland students, Scott and Twomey (1988) collected data from English students, while Fleming (1992) studied Irish graduates. Comparatively few studies have been done on developing countries. Some exceptions include, for example, Jones, Jones, Packham and Miller (2008), Schwalb, Grosse and Simpson (1988), and Wu and Wu (2008).

This special issue is considered important and appropriate because of three reasons. First, there are relatively few studies examining graduate entrepreneurial intentions and education in developing countries. This is important to understanding and potentially enhancing the quantity and quality of graduate start-ups. Secondly, a special issue would help to disseminate knowledge about how different countries address graduate entrepreneurship. Thirdly, there are implications for the impact of university students/ graduate entrepreneurs in developing countries on economic growth and development. 

The special issue focuses on the following main themes related to university students/ graduates in developing countries:
. Student/ graduate entrepreneurial intentions, attitudes and motivation to start a business
. Transition to graduate entrepreneurship, triggers and barriers to business start-up
.  Entrepreneurship education and training (entrepreneurship education experience, approaches taken by higher education institutions/ universities, policy/ practice implications for supporting graduate entrepreneurship, what works and what does not).
. A comparison between developing countries and developed countries on one or more of the above themes.
 
The call for papers encourages the submission of conceptual, empirical (quantitative or qualitative), survey or case-based papers that debate, explore or review topics around, but not limited to, the main themes above. Submissions must be prepared in line with author guidelines on:
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/info/journals/et/notes.jsp . 
 
For a list of developing countries, please follow this link:
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/DATASTATISTICS/0,,contentMDK:20421402~pagePK:64133150~piPK:64133175~theSitePK:239419,00.html
 
Timetable
The Special Issue is scheduled to be published in 2011. The following timetable/ deadline dates are given for your information:
1. Expressions of interest/ 200 word summary of proposed articles - during March, April and May (up to 31 May 2010).
2. Preliminary indication to author(s) to submit paper for review - by 30 June 2010
3. Submission of full papers - by 30 November 2010, preferably earlier.
4. Feedback from reviewers - by around 15 Jan 2011
5. Final revised submission - by 15 March 2011.

Please submit expressions of interest/ abstracts and papers to both Guest Editors directly. 

Please feel free to contact the Guest Editors if you have any queries about the special issue. If you have any colleagues who you feel may be interested in submitting an article, please feel free to forward this Call to them.
 
References

Birdthistle, N. (2008), "An examination of tertiary students' desire to found an enterprise", Education + Training, Vol. 50, No.7, pp.552-567.
Dickson, P.H., Solomon, G.T. and Weaver, K.M. (2008), "Entrepreneurial selection and success: does education matter?", Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 15, No.2, pp.239-258.

Duffy, P.B. and Stevenson, H.H. (1984), "Entrepreneurship and self-employment: understanding the distinctions", in Hornaday, J.A., Tarpley, F., Timmons, J.A., Vesper, K.H. (Eds), Frontiers of Entrepreneurial Research, Babson College, Wellesley, MA, pp.461-77.

Fleming, P. (1992), The role of a structured intervention in shaping graduate entrepreneurship, University of Limerick, Limerick.

Harrison, R. and Hart, M. (1989), "Factors influencing new business formation: a case study of Northern Ireland", Environment and Planning, Vol. 15 No.10, pp.1395-412.

Jones, P., Jones, A., Packham, G. and Miller, C. (2008), "Student attitudes towards enterprise education in Poland: a positive impact", Education + Training, Vol. 50 No. 7, pp. 597-614.

ISBA Consortium (2004), "Making the journey from student to entrepreneur: A review of the existing research into graduate entrepreneurship", Research Paper No. 001, National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship - NCGE, Birmingham.

Nabi, G., Holden, R. and Walmsley, A. (2006a), "Graduate career-making and business start up: a literature review", Education + Training, Vol. 48 No. 5, pp. 373-85.

Schwalb, M.M., Grosse, R. and Simpson, E.R. (1988): "Developing Entrepreneurs in Developing Countries - The PEG Programme in Peru", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 7, No.4, pp.31 - 40.

Scott, M.G. and Twomey, D.G. (1988), "The long-term supply of entrepreneurs; students' career aspirations in relation to entrepreneurship", Journal of Small Business Management, Vol. 26 No.4, pp.5-13.

Wu, S. and Wu, L. (2008), "The impact of higher education on entrepreneurial intentions of university students in China", Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 752-774.

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