For several years, researchers, lecturers and staff at the Van Riemsdijk Chair at the Institute for Entrepreneurship have been analysing the entrepreneurial spirit of adolescents. In the current issue of HR Today, Daniel Müller and Dr. Ruth Jochum-Gasser talk about the findings.
For several years, researchers, lecturers and staff at the Van Riemsdijk Chair at the Institute for Entrepreneurship have been analysing the entrepreneurial spirit of adolescents. In the current issue of HR Today, Daniel Müller and Dr. Ruth Jochum-Gasser talk about the findings.
Five years after completing their apprenticeships, only 8.9% of the apprentices surveyed could envision themselves founding a company. Five years after their school-leaving examination, as many as 22.3% of the surveyed grammar school pupils would take a chance at being self-employed. These are the results of a research project carried out by the University of Liechtenstein, which surveyed 570 apprentices and adolescents attending schools in the German-speaking areas of Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The article “Start young: How to awaken the entrepreneurial spirit in an adolescent” focuses on the question of how the entrepreneurial spirit of adolescents can be fostered.
Interpretation of the findings
The researchers attribute the distinct low entrepreneurial potential of the apprentices surveyed to the size of the companies at which they did their apprenticeships. All the apprentices were trained at well-established companies such as Bühler, Hilti, Rieter and Zumtobel, where “entrepreneurial thinking and actions are focused more on strategic restructuring and innovation than on the establishment of new companies”. According to Daniel Müller and Dr. Ruth Jochum-Gasser, these competencies, which are so important for entrepreneurs, can indeed be learnt. Professional competence plays a key role in this context.
HRtoday 12/2012
Article „Früh übt sich: Wie in Jugendlichen der Unternehmergeist geweckt wird“
by Daniel Müller and Dr. Ruth Jochum-Gasser
20121201_HRtoday_Artikel.pdf (german)
Background
With their article in the current issue of HR Today, Daniel Müller and Dr. Ruth Jochum-Gasser would like to raise the awareness of this topic particularly among HR managers working at companies which take on apprentices.
Daniel Müller, MBA, is a lecturer at the University of Liechtenstein’s Van Riemsdijk Chair in Entrepreneurship. Among other things, he teaches and researches in the fields of business planning and entrepreneurial skills.
Dr. Ruth Jochum-Gasser is an academic researcher at the University of Liechtenstein’s Van Riemsdijk Chair in Entrepreneurship, focusing on topics such as young entrepreneurs.
The specialist journal HR Today focuses on current news, specialized knowledge and trends in the field of human resources. It is published 10 times per year and is aimed mainly at HR managers and personnel service providers.