Preferred Name
Lindsay M. King
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3052-5409
Date of Graduation
5-6-2021
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
School of Strategic Leadership Studies
Advisor(s)
Benjamin S. Selznick
Margaret F. Sloan
S. Jeanne Horst
Abstract
Abstract: An entrepreneurial mindset is beneficial for all individuals regardless of their career aspirations. College students, in particular, can benefit from the development of an entrepreneurial mindset as they will be inclined to desire to achieve more and continually strive for personal growth. Entrepreneurial development within college students can be realized through experiential learning aimed to cultivate entrepreneurial capabilities such as critical, creative, and innovative thought. These capabilities, coupled with a passion for personal achievement through life-long learning, an entrepreneurial mindset can be developed. This study first proposed an abbreviated measure of College Student Entrepreneurial Development (CSED) by revising an existing instrument, and then used the measure to assess growth in students’ entrepreneurial development from participating in an experiential learning course intervention. Results indicated that the newly reduced measure of CSED did reliably fit a two-factor model of entrepreneurial development, containing the two subscales of self-efficacy and outcome expectations. Students receiving the curricular intervention were shown to have post-test CSED scores statistically higher than those who did not receive the intervention. Implications for offering a general education course for all students that incorporates entrepreneurial thinking are discussed. Considerations for university leadership, including both administrators and faculty, for implementing a course encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset are also presented.
Recommended Citation
King, Lindsay M., "An entrepreneurial mindset: Not just for entrepreneurs" (2021). Dissertations, 2020-current. 59.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/diss202029/59
