Student Entrepreneurship in Hungary: Selected Results Based on GUESSS Survey

Abstract

Objective: This study investigates students’ entrepreneurial activities and aims to answer questions regarding to what extent do students utilize the knowledge gained during their studies and the personal connections acquired at universities, as well as what role a family business background plays in the development of students’ business start-ups.

Research Design & Methods: This paper is based on the database of the GUESSS project investigates 658 student entrepreneurs (so-called ‘active entrepreneurs’) who have already established businesses of their own.

Findings: The rate of self-employment among Hungarian students who study in tertiary education and consider themselves to be entrepreneurs is high. Motivations and entrepreneurial efforts differ from those who owns a larger company, they do not necessarily intend to make an entrepreneurial path a career option in the long run. A family business background and family support play a determining role in entrepreneurship and business start-ups, while entrepreneurial training and courses offered at higher institutions are not reflected in students’ entrepreneurial activities.

Implications & Recommendations: Universities should offer not only conventional business courses (for example, business planning), but also new forms of education so that students meet various entrepreneurial tasks and problems, make decisions in different situations, explore and acquaint themselves with entrepreneurship.

Contribution & Value Added: The study provides literature overview of youth entrepreneurship, describes the main characteristics of students’ enterprises and contributes to understanding the factors of youth entrepreneurship.

Keywords

Entrepreneurship, higher education

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