**Entrepreneurship Education within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)**

Astri Ghina, Togar M. Simatupang and Aurik Gustomo

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.69043

#### **Abstract**

Entrepreneurship education has been widely recognized as influencing the establish‐ ment of new businesses. Previous literature on the subject has reviewed the evaluation of entrepreneurship education within higher education institutions. However, the results of such reviews are unsystematic. Most literature focuses on main elements of entre‐ preneurship education consisting of courses, teaching methods, university facilities, and methods of measurement. This chapter proposes a systematic framework for promoting effective learning in entrepreneurship education within higher education institutions as a means of developing successful entrepreneurs.

**Keywords:** entrepreneurship education, higher education institution, systematic framework, successful entrepreneur

### **1. Introduction**

Entrepreneurs are more probably made rather than born. Mistakes, hard work, and a consis‐ tent attitude combined with appropriate support at the right time do not constitute a magic formula [1]. Research found that entrepreneurs will typically exhibit a belief that events result directly from an individual's own behavior, a strong internal locus of control, and an ability to recognize opportunity, along with taking calculated risks and endurance [2].

The personal characteristics of entrepreneurs contribute to their willingness to innovate, determination, and success. Individuals with a high level of self‐efficacy believe that they are capable of achieving a goal. They are more likely to be optimistic, having an internal locus of control and emotional stability. Individuals with a high need for success will achieve more

by setting goals based on their experience and ability. Besides, entrepreneurs always look for new opportunities or exploit familiar ones using novel methods. They are likely to recognize those not apparent to others, and they will ignore any instruction that hinders the exploiting of such opportunities. Moreover, entrepreneurs often show a greater willingness to toler‐ ate ambiguity. They assume that, while unable to make fully accurate predictions about the future, they can take action to make a better one [1].

There is, in reality, no singular entrepreneurship gene. Nevertheless, there are characteristics and experiences that render an individual more disposed to the path of entrepreneurship and, therefore, successful. For example, the most accomplished entrepreneurs launched their first commercial enterprise at a young age. Among a survey of 685 leading entrepreneurs, more than half started their first company between the ages of 20 and 29 [2].

Most of the entrepreneurs surveyed did not get involved in their first business directly from higher education. Rather, they described themselves as "transitioned" (58%), meaning that they had gained some experience outside the entrepreneurial world before launching their own commercial venture. Among the survey respondents, some degree of business experi‐ ence was considered to have significant importance as a necessary foundation in increasing the possibility of future success [2].

Many survey informants also confirmed that corporate sector experience provides an impor‐ tant grounding in business practices. Informants were most likely to select "experience as an employee" as having the highest impact (33%). Higher education was prioritized by almost one‐third of informants (30%), followed by mentors (26%), family (21%), cofounders (16%), secondary education (13%), colleagues (12%), C‐level executive/board (11%), friends (9%), and investors (5%) [2].

Despite higher education making an important contribution to commercial venture success [2], several countries face constraints relating to both formal and informal education and training, in developing start‐ups into established business [3]. Entrepreneurship education (EE) has an important mission to guide all students toward having an entrepreneurial mind‐ set [4]. The goal of EE within a higher education institution (HEI) is to expose students to entrepreneurial spirit and culture; in other words, to create highly intellectual entrepreneurs and new ventures that will create new job opportunities [5].
