Fostering Entrepreneurial Intention Among Engineering Students

Engineering graduates need a broad range of skills and knowledge beyond that of the technical. The role of the engineer has evolved from lone specialist to team player, from internally focused to globally aware, from reactionary to entrepreneur. Entrepreneurial intention is a state of mind that directs and guides the actions of the entrepreneur toward the development and implementation of a business concept. Diverse factors that influence the Entrepreneurial Decision do exist. These factors may be intrinsic such as the personal capabilities (personality traits and psychological attributes), and prior knowledge or extrinsic as the environmental (social) factors. Stimulating innovative and growth-oriented entrepreneurship is a key economic and societal challenge to which universities and colleges have much to contribute. Students with more positive attitudes, stronger subjective norms, and more perceived behavioral control with respect to entrepreneurship, will have stronger entrepreneurial intentions. In this paper we consider intention (willingness) and personal capabilities as the predisposing factor, the environmental (social) background as the nutrient medium, and entrepreneurial education as the precipitating factor for the entrepreneurial process.