Lighting the flame of entrepreneurship among agribusiness students

Abstract

Entrepreneurship and innovation play a key role in combating problems facing agribusinesses, including the need for water conservation, sustainable packaging, and environmental protection. These issues have led to an increasing demand for college graduates with technical skills and innovative ways of thinking. The objective of our research is to provide insight into character traits that signal entrepreneurial skills. We conducted a survey to examine entrepreneurial interests and perspectives among U.S. agribusiness students. A cluster analysis revealed that entrepreneurial-minded students were more likely to be male, consider themselves risk takers, and have parents directly engaged in production agriculture. Our results emphasize the importance for universities to build students’ experiences through industry partnerships, where students can interact with entrepreneurial mentors and get hands-on knowledge through applied coursework and internships in entrepreneurship. In addition, our study aids industry managers to learn more about future employees and their perceptions of entrepreneurial activities.