An Empirical Comparison of Graduate Entrepreneurs and Graduate Employees Based on Graduate Entrepreneurship Education and Career Development

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is a double-edged sword. Entrepreneurs may either reap great rewards or suffer great damages from crises in the near future. Therefore, it is crucial to offer entrepreneurship education to students. This would help them broaden their horizons in graduate employment. This study compares graduate entrepreneurs and graduate employees in China, focusing on their career development. The results of the study show that graduate entrepreneurs have higher career satisfaction than graduate employees. In addition, graduate entrepreneurs have greater work commitments than graduate employees, although they also have higher job stress. We also found that most graduates in either group could earn a living easily. A certain number of the two parties spent more than what they earned mainly to provide financial support to their families.