Entrepreneurial Identity of Turkey: a Research on Distance Learning Students

Abstract

To Cantillon, entrepreneurship is a self-employment with an uncertain return. Cantillon focused on entrepreneur as a person; for the next 200 years, considerable research investigated the entrepreneurial personality [1]. To Schumpeter, an entrepreneur is a person who carries out new combinations, which may take the form of new products, processes, markets, organizational forms, or sources of supply [2]. It is clear that the definition of entrepreneurship is multidimensional and that different research questions draw attention to different dimensions of the construct [3]. There is a growing body of literature arguing that intentions play a very relevant role in the decision to start a new firm [4]. This study uses Entrepreneurial Intention Model (EIM), which was originally developed by Linan and others [5] to have a cognitive perspective on entrepreneurship. According to EIM, together with an entrepreneurial intention (EI) and motivational factors such as personal attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control, entrepreneurial behaviour is also affected by environmental factors such as having closer environment valuation and social valuation of the entrepreneurship. In other words, based on communication level of EIM with the environment, also affects the entrepreneurial behaviour. The effect of these factors on each other and on entrepreneurial behaviour differs due to the regional culture and sub identity of the entrepreneurs. A Turkish translation of the questionnaire of Linan and others [5], was used with the authorization of the author. The questionnaire was put into Anadolu University (AU) online distance learning (DL) student information system and students were asked to respond voluntarily. DL Faculty of AU, which has completed 34 years, provides higher education to approximately 1 million 380 thousand students [6], also has a vital role on special projects to overcome education related problems in Turkey. This study keeps the focus on the EI of 3rd and 4th year students at DL, which are considered as the entrepreneur candidates in the future. The quantity of the total participants is above 7000 from 81 different cities in Turkey. The result of the study is expected to provide information about the entrepreneurial identity of the DL Faculty students and the comparison between regions will be done to identify the differences and possible causes. Difference between eastern and western regions of Turkey in terms of development and national culture is significant, and business opportunities between touristic and industrial areas also differ. Therefore, elective courses should be prepared to cover the requirements of the entrepreneur profiles in different regions. Identifying the identity such as the most innovative entrepreneurs, the most conservative entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs willing to be cooperative is significant. It is aimed to publish the outcomes the identity of Turkish entrepreneurs based on the answers given by DL students.