DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

Perception of Entrepreneurship as a Career by Students from Selected

Public Secondary Schools in Nairobi
Elizabeth W. Kabui1 Jackson K. Maalu, PhD.2

This study sought to determine how students of public secondary schools in Nairobi
perceive entrepreneurship as a career and whether they would want to pursue a career
in entrepreneurship upon completion of school. The study bore in mind that both
exogenous and endogenous factors have the potential to influence the students
perception of entrepreneurship and thus contribute in determining their
entrepreneurial intentions. As such learning Business Studies in secondary school and
having parents/ guardians in self employment was viewed as having prior exposure to
entrepreneurship. Data for this study was obtained by use of a questionnaire
administered to randomly selected students from selected schools that were
representative of public secondary schools in Nairobi. They were 135 respondents who
comprised of both male and female students and students ranging from Form one (1) to
Form four (4). The research revealed that although majority of students had a positive
perception of entrepreneurship as a career option, there were various factors that were
perceived as hindrances or challenges. Key of these was the fear of failure, lack of
sufficient knowledge to start and run own business and the inadequate funds to start
business. The study also revealed that there was no significant difference in the
perception of entrepreneurship between students who had had prior exposure through
Business Studies subject at school and those who had not studied the subject. It was also
observed that students who had parents/ guardians in self employment were not highly
motivated to go into entrepreneurship so as to continue in family business.
Key words: Career choice, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial perceptions

Lecturer, St. Paul University, Nairobi, Kenya

Lecturer, Department of Business Administration, School of Business, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya - jmaalu@uonbi.ac.ke
2

101 |

DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

INTRODUCTION
There are various definitions of
2005; Hisrich, Peter & Shepherd, 2008).
entrepreneur and entrepreneurship drawing
Holt (2003) views entrepreneurship as one
from the varied fields of study, such as
of the four factors of economic
business, economics and psychology,
development, the other three being land,
which illuminate different dimensions of
capital
and
labour.
Indeed
entrepreneurship. One of the earliest
entrepreneurship is seen as an important
definitions was by Adam Smith in 1776
leverage in todays competitive and
that saw an entrepreneur as an economic
dynamic business environment that is
agent who transforms demand to supply.
characterized by increased uncertainties,
Richard Cantillion in the eighteenth
mergers, alliances, reduced trade barriers
century, described an entrepreneur as
and an increasing demand for flexibility
someone who takes risk by making
(Hisrich, Peter & Shepherd, 2008).
decisions
in
uncertain
economic
Entrepreneurship can be said to be an
environment in order to seek the best
initiator and driver of change in business
opportunities. Joseph Schumpeter in 1934
and society, ultimately leading to increased
described entrepreneurship as a process of
productivity and consequent economic
creative destruction through which an
growth. It is important to note that
entrepreneur dismantles existing patterns
entrepreneurship has also become a
or structures in order to come up with new
necessity in organizations outside the
combinations thus new commodities and
business world as tasks requiring
systems. (Holt, 2003).
independent thinking, creativity, initiative
and flexibility increase.
De
Bonos
emphasis
was
that
entrepreneurship requires divergent and
The question of why some people venture
creative thinking which he referred to as
into business while others do not has
lateral thinking or thinking outside the
remained a major focus for research in
box (Amit & Zott, 2001). Hisrich, Peters
entrepreneurship for several decades. A
and Shepherd (2008) adopted Hisrich and
great deal of research has investigated the
Brush (1985) definition which viewed the
reasons for the creation of new enterprises
key elements of entrepreneurship as
and the entrepreneurial characteristics of
creation of something new of value,
those individuals responsible for the
assuming risk, putting in effort and
emergence of new firms. An important
receiving monetary and personal gains.
question is why some individuals decide to
These varied definitions however concur
pursue entrepreneurial endeavours while
that entrepreneurship involves creativity
others do not. Research has investigated
and innovation, risk taking, working in
the possible reasons behind this behaviour
uncertain environment and perception of
from the perspective of the individual
opportunities and result in change.
themselves as well as economic and other
Entrepreneur is the person who carries out
factors in their environment (Audretsch
these activities.
and Evans, 1994; Hofstede, 2004). Other
studies have investigated the utility
The important role of entrepreneurship in
derived from choosing self employment
society is widely acknowledged (Kuratko,
over traditional career opportunities - it is
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DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

argued that individuals will choose selfemployment as a career option if the utility
derived from this choice exceeds the utility
derived from employment (Eisenhauer,
1995; Douglas & Shepherd, 2000; GEM
2008).
Perceptions about entrepreneurship may
affect the supply side and the demand side
of entrepreneurship. On the supply side, or
the pool of potential entrepreneurs,
important perceptions include both
willingness and perceived ability to
become an entrepreneur (Davidson, 1991).
Education levels and the availability of
entrepreneurship training programs are
possible determinants of perceived skills.
The Kenya government recognizes the
important role entrepreneurship plays in
economic development. Introduction of
entrepreneurship education at various
levels of the education system is evidence
of this importance. The expectation is that
the
students
who
learn
about
entrepreneurship are going to apply the
skills
in
establishing
significant
enterprises. What is not clear however is
how the students themselves perceive
entrepreneurship and themselves in terms
of being able to do so. Increasingly
therefore interest individuals perception
of entrepreneurial ability has become a key
concern for researchers in the area of
entrepreneurship. The GEM study of 2008
for instance focused on the entrepreneurial
ability and perceptions as the key focus.
These studies have had limited focus on
the African setting where the context is
unique and possibly with different
perception profile. Context plays a critical
role in development of perceptions.

103 |

This study therefore sought to establish the

perception of students in public secondary
schools
in
Kenya
regarding
entrepreneurship as a career option.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Several theories have been advanced to
explain why some people become
entrepreneurs while others do not. The trait
theory as propounded by McClelland in
1961 proposed that entrepreneurs are born
with certain unique characteristics. These
distinctive characteristics include need for
personal control, extreme self confidence,
restlessness, high independence and
innovation. Though this theory has
received criticism, it does highlight some
of
activities
associated
with
an
entrepreneurial career and attitudes that
advance entrepreneurship. Shapiro and
Sokol (1982) proposed that people became
entrepreneurs
after
undergoing
an
entrepreneurial event. An entrepreneurial
event is what causes an individual to
change their perception of their
environment and consequently change
cause
and
pursue
a
certain
direction.(Maalu, Nzuve & Magutu,2010).
The theory of planned behaviour has also
been used to explain not only why some
people become entrepreneurs but also why
they continue to engage in entrepreneurial
ventures.
The theory postulates that
behaviour,
including
entrepreneurial
behaviour is dependent on three factors.
These three factors are; the attitudes one
has towards the behaviour, subjective
values regarded as important by the society
and the perceived control one has over
their behaviour. Linan & Chen, 2006;
Kennedy, Drennan & Renfrow, 2003)

DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

Perception is a process of being aware of

ones environment through the senses.
How one perceives the world consequently
determines how one reacts to it. Perception
involves analyzing and interpreting items
picked out by the senses in order to assign
meaning to them. How one analyzes and
interprets a sensory reception is
determined by many factors which include
cultural setting, memories, values,
imaginations and past experiences. As
such, different people will perceive the
same object differently because the content
and degree of these influences is different.
Consequently perception is not external
reality. Perception is the way a particular
person thinks about the reality; it is a
subjective reality (Lindsay & Norman,
1977)

Perception plays a critical role in

entrepreneurship. If a person has a positive
perception towards entrepreneurship it is
likely that the person will engage in an
entrepreneurial act (GEM, 2010).A
persons perception of entrepreneurship
will be shaped by factors endogenous and
exogenous. Endogenous factors are those
that are within ones control and relate to
issues such as character. The exogenous
factors are beyond a persons control and
relate to environmental issues such as
taxation rates, inflation and recession.
While these factors may affect all, those
with
a
positive
perception
of
entrepreneurship will perceive themselves
as having what it takes to overcome
hurdles (Moy &Wright, 2003)
An individuals perception of self
environment determine the goals
individual sets for him/herself and
expected outcome of actions taken.
104 |

and
the
the
The

perception of opportunity, alongside

motivation and access to means to pursue
the opportunity, is seen as a prerequisite
condition to entrepreneurial behaviour.
Those who take up entrepreneurship
perceive lucrative opportunities where
others do not. Entrepreneurs are also seen
to perceive less risk in situations. Rather
than look at disadvantages and threats they
focus on advantages and opportunities.
(Palich & Bagby, 1995).
Studies that have focused on how students
perceive
entrepreneurship
whether
amongst pre-university students or among
undergraduate students have concluded
that social groups and the school have the
greatest influence on whether students
perceive entrepreneurship as a career
option. Kelly, Bosma and Amoros (2011)
through a survey of fifty- nine countries
point out indicators of attitudes towards
entrepreneurship. These indicators include
the extent to which people think there are
opportunities for starting business, their
perceived capability of doing so, their fear
of failure and the level of risk one is
willing to take. They further note that these
attitudes are largely shaped by societal
perceptions such as through media images
of entrepreneurship.
Shinnar, Pruelt and Bryan (2010), in their
research on non- business students
attitudes towards entrepreneurship in
Northern Carolina universities, found that
parents played a great role in shaping the
students
attitudes.
Henderson
and
Robertson (1999)
make reference of
studies such as Scott and Twomey (1998),
Harrison and Hart (1992)and Dalton and
Holloway (1989) which point out key
predisposing factors that guide a students
ambition towards entrepreneurship. These

DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

include parental influence and family role

models, previous work experience and the
attitudes the student has of himself or
herself. They noted that entrepreneurial
aspirations are likely to come from homes
where their parents owned their own
business and that many aspiring
entrepreneurs had received significant
responsibility at a young age to the extent
of some engaging in entrepreneurial
ventures.
Curran (1996) in Henderson and
Robertson (1999) in a research among high
school students in Scotland found that
teachers and the media had a major
influence on students perception of
entrepreneurship. In their findings, both
the teachers and the TV portrayed a
negative image of the entrepreneur as one
constantly facing money worries. Also the
teachers contributed in the creation of the
perception of career -forgone should one
opt for an entrepreneurship career.
Saee(1996)in
his
evaluation
of
entrepreneurship education in Australia
observed that, though there was a move
away from traditional subjects and an
increase in subjects that can propagate
entrepreneurship such as business studies,
the general perception of entrepreneur in
Australia was negative due to the focus on
those who had failed. The school system
failed to teach entrepreneurial spirit and
the awareness of self employment as a
career option. World Economic Forum
(2010) noted that fear of failure, cultural
barriers and role of family and friends had
the greatest influence on students
perception of entrepreneurship.

105 |

METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS

The study employed a descriptive survey
research design. The target population for
the study was all the secondary school
students in Nairobi. Nairobi County was
selected to represent the population. Public
schools in Nairobi admit students from the
entire country and are best representation
of Kenya through their diverse ethnic
composition.
Public secondary schools in Kenya are
categorized into National, Provincial and
District schools. The students sample for
this study was drawn from Starehe Boys
Centre and School, Precious Blood Girls
Secondary
School
and
Highridge
Secondary School. These three were
selected through cluster sampling and they
were representative of the three categories
of schools respectively. This sample
represented both boys and girls and
students of different backgrounds. A
proportionate sample of 45 students was
randomly selected from each school
representing students from the different
classes ranging from form one to the
fourth form.
Data was collected via a self administered
questionnaire. The questionnaire made use
of close- ended questions on a five point
Likert scale. Descriptive statistics were
computed and results presented via table,
graphs and pie charts.
Demographics of Respondents
Since perceptions are shaped by peoples
interactions with the world, the study
captured demographic characteristics of
respondents in a bid to elicit environmental
factors and their influence on students
perception towards
entrepreneurship.

DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

Table 1 presents the respondents background characteristics.

Table 1: Demographic Information of Students
Characteristic

Starehe Boys Centre (%)

Precious Blood-Riruta (%)

Highridge (%)

24.4
22.2
31.1
22.2

51.1
0.0
33.3
15.6

28.9
20.0
22.2
28.9

100.0
0.0

0.0
100.0

55.6
44.4

17.8
40.0
31.1
11.1

48.9
20.0
20.0
8.9

11.1
24.4
33.3
28.9

34.1
38.6
20.5
6.8

42.2
37.8
15.6
4.4

25.0
56.8
13.6
4.5

28.9
60.0
6.7
4.4

31.1
57.8
8.9
2.2

28.9
55.6
13.3
2.2

11.4
22.7
18.2
20.5
15.9
4.5
6.8

2.2
6.7
4.4
6.7
13.3
8.9
57.8

8.9
6.7
31.1
15.6
4.4
6.7
26.7

35.3
64.7

28.9
71.1

30.3
69.7

83.7
16.3

90.5
9.5

71.1
28.9

77.8
22.2

55.8
44.2

100
0.0

Class
F1
F2
F3
F4
Gender
Male
Female
Age (Years)
<=15
16 Years
17 Years
>=18 Years
Birth order
First Born
Middle born
Last Born
Only Child
Religion
Catholic
Protestant
Muslim
Not stated
Province
Central
Eastern
Western
Nyanza
Rift valley
Coast
Nairobi
Parent/Guardian Occupation
Self employed
Not Self employed
Role Models
Yes
No
Takes Business Studies
Yes
No

Source: Research Data

The total number of students who

responded to the questionnaire was 135,
drawn from different classes. Overall,
most (34.8%) of the students were drawn
from Form 1, whereas the least represented
class was form 2 (14.1%). This
discrepancy can, however, be explained by
the oversampling of students from other
classes in one of the schools (Precious

106 |

Blood) at the expense of those in the other

classes, in the school.
The table further shows that male students
comprised the majority (51.9%) of the
students
who
responded
to
the
questionnaire. However, it is worth noting
that Starehe Boys Centre is purely a boys
school while Precious Blood is a girls
school. Nevertheless, Highridge Secondary

DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

School, a mixed school, had more male

respondents
(55.6%)
than
female
respondents (44.4%). In spite of the
schools being located in Nairobi, sampled
students were drawn from across seven
provinces. Starehe Boys Centre being a
national school had an almost equal
distribution of students from five of the
provinces. Precious Blood Girls School
had more students drawn from Nairobi
province by virtue of the fact that it is a
provincial school- priority in admission is
given to students from within the province.
There was representation from the three
major religious groups in the country. The
Muslim religion had however the least
representation (less than 14%) in all
schools. In all the schools, majority of
students indicated that their parents
/guardians were not in self employment.
Having parents in business was viewed as
one of the factors that would influence the
students perception of entrepreneurship.
Majority of the respondents indicated that
they had role models who were in
business. Respondents were asked to
indicate whether they had studied or were

studying Business Studies. All the

respondents from Highridge Secondary
School studied business while majority of
the respondents from Precious Blood and
Starehe Boys Centre also studied
business. Business Studies is viewed in
this study as exposure to business and
entrepreneurship and has the potential to
influence the students perception of
entrepreneurship.
Students Entrepreneurial Intentions
The students were required to indicate the
extent to which they agree or disagree on a
five point Likert scale whether they would
want to start their own business after
completing school. To assess whether the
students
had
any
entrepreneurial
intentions, the scale was merged to two
points agree and disagree, with those who
scored 3-neutral were considered as
disagreeing with the statement. Table 2
shows the percentage of students who
would want to pursue entrepreneurship by
selected demographic characteristics.

Table 2: Proportion of Students Who Would Want to Pursue Entrepreneurship After

Completing School
Class
F1
F2
F3
F4
Gender
Male
Female
Age
<=15 Years
16 Years
17 Years
>=18 Years
Birth order
First Born
Middle born
Last Born

107 |

Agree (%)

Disagree (%)

Total

65.1
84.2
81.1
75.9

34.9
15.8
18.9
24.1

43
19
37
29

76.5
73.3

23.5
26.7

68
60

64.5
75.7
83.8
76.2
76.2
71.9
76.2
83.3

35.5
24.3
16.2
23.8
23.8
28.1
23.8
16.7

31
37
37
21
42
57
21
6

DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

Only Child
Religion
Catholic
Protestant
Muslim
Role models in business
Yes
No
Whether studying Business
Yes
No
Parent/guardian occupation
Father self employed
Mother self employed
Guardian self employed

Out of 135 students, 112 said that they

would want to pursue a career in
entrepreneurship after completing school.
Form two and form three students
demonstrated a greater desire to pursue
entrepreneurship after completing school
(84.2%
and
81.1%,
respectively).
Although there were more male students
who expressed a similar desire after school
as compared to their female counterparts,
the difference was not significant(76%
male and 73% female) While most of the
students expressed a strong desire to
pursue an entrepreneurial career, students
who were only child expressed the greatest
desire (83.3%). The findings indicate that
there is no significant difference on the
desire
to
pursue
a
career
in
entrepreneurship between students who
have role models who are entrepreneurs
and students who do not have role models
who are entrepreneurs (83.0% and 83.3%
respectively). The study required the
respondent to indicate whether or not they
studied or had studied business studies in
school. Business Studies is an optional
subject offered in secondary schools. One
of the objectives of this subject is to orient
students towards entrepreneurship. The
findings of this study however show that
among the students who were studying/had
studied business, 18.3 % would not want
108 |

71.8
78.1
69.2

28.2
21.9
30.8

39
73
13

83.0
83.3

17.0
16.7

106
24

81.7
89.7

18.3
10.3

104
29

72.7
78.0
53.3

27.3
22.0
46.7

33
41
15

to pursue a career in entrepreneurship

while only 10.3% of those who had not
studied business did not want a career in
entrepreneurship. 81.7 % of those who had
studied business expressed a desire to
pursue a career in entrepreneurship while
89.7% of students who had not studied
business expressed a desire to pursue a
career in entrepreneurship.
While literature (Albert, Sciascia & Poli,
2004; Saee, 1996 and Shepherd &
Douglas, 1996) has shown that previous
work experience and exposure to
entrepreneurship programs has a positive
influence on students ambition to pursue
an entrepreneurial career, it may appear
then that Business Studies subject has not
had a significant impact on influencing
secondary school students towards a career
in entrepreneurship. Students of protestant
religion expressed a greater desire to
pursue a career in entrepreneurship (78.1
%) as compared to those of Catholic and
Muslim religion (71.8% and 69.2%
respectively). Students were also asked to
indicate whether their parents /guardian
were in self employment. The purpose of
this was to investigate whether parents/
guardians career in self employment had a
positive influence on students choice of
an entrepreneurial career path. The

DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

findings show that amongst students

whose fathers were self employed, 72.7 %
expressed a desire to pursue a career in
entrepreneurship while 78.0 % of those
whose mothers were in self employment
expressed a similar desire. Only 53.3 % of
those who had guardians in self
employment expressed a desire for the
same.
Scott and Twomey (1998), Harrison and
Hart (1992) and Dalton and Halloway
(1989) in their discussion of predisposing
factors that guide students ambitions
towards a particular career, point out
parental influence and role models as key
influences. The same has been noted by
Shinnar, Pruelt and Bryan (2010). Our

study investigated whether role models

and parent/guardians career had an
influence on the respondents perception of
entrepreneurship. The findings indicate
that while these social groups may have an
influence, the influence may not necessary
be positive. Of those who had guardians in
self employment only 53.3 % indicated
that they would want to pursue a career in
entrepreneurship after completing school.
All students from North Eastern and
Eastern provinces expressed a desire to
pursue business after completing school.
Coast and Rift Valley provinces were the
least represented of the students who
expressed a desire to pursue business after
school (See figure 1).

120.0
100.0

100.0

100.0
80.0

83.3

89.5

80.0
73.3

80.0

66.7

60.0
40.0
20.0
0.0
Central eastern Western Nyanza

Rift
valley

North
eastern

Coast

Nairobi

Figure 1: Proportion of students who would want to pursue entrepreneurship after

completing school by province of origin
Motivation to Pursue Entrepreneurship
The motivation to pursue a career in
entrepreneurship can stem from a
combination of forces as explained in the
entrepreneurial intentions theories. The
study sought to determine what factors
would motivate students to pursue an

109 |

entrepreneurial career. Students were

given nine statement stating factors that
can motivate one towards a career in
entrepreneurship. The students were
required to state whether they agreed or
disagreed with each of the statements
being a motivation for them to pursue a

DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

career in entrepreneurship. Table 3 shows

in percentage the students responses.
Table 3: Proportion of students subscribing to selected motivation statements
Being my own boss would motivate me to start my own business
Having control over my time would motivate me to start my own business
Gaining public recognition would motivate me to start my own business
Continuing the family tradition in business would motivate me to start my own
business
Trying out new ideas would motivate me to start my own business
Increasing personal income would motivate me to start my own business
Taking up challenging work would motivate me to start my own business
Lack of opportunity to pursue further education would motivate me to start my own
business
Lack of employment opportunity would motivate me to start my own business
Trying out new ideas, being ones own
boss and an increase in personal income
were the greatest motivators towards
pursuing a career in entrepreneurship. True
to the structure opportunity model
(Henderson & Robert, 1999), respondents
indicated that an increase in personal
income was a high motivation to start
business. Continuing family tradition in
business, lack of opportunity to further
education and gaining public recognition
had the least percentage of students
subscribing to them as motivating factors.

110 |

83.3
75.9
52.3
43.3
90.2
81.8
56.5
47.7
66.7

Literature(Shinnar,
Pruelt
and
Bryan,2010); World Economic Forum
,2010) has observed that children from
homes where parents are in business are
more likely to engage in business
themselves. This study analyzed whether
children with such entrepreneurial
exposure were motivated to start their own
business in order to continue in the family
business. Figure 2 represents the students
whose parent/ guardian are in business and
the percentage of those who are motivated
to pursue a career in entrepreneurship so as
to continue in family business.

DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

60
51.2
50
40
33.3
%

33.3

30
20
10
0
Father

Mother

Guardian

Figure 2:: Proportion of students with parent/guardian

parent/guardian in business motivated to
entrepreneurship
ntrepreneurship so as to continue in family business tradition
creativity, self confidence, aggressiveness
As the figure shows only 33.3 % of
and hard work are included. Students were
students whose fathers or guardians are in
asked whether they perceived these
business were motivated to go into
characteristics to be essential if they were
business to continue in the family
to pursue a career in entrepreneurship.
business.
ess. 51.2 % of the students whose
Students perception of entrepreneurial
mothers were in business were motivated
characteristics is largely shaped by their
to go into business to continue in the
direct and indirectt encounters with
family business An explanation for this
entrepreneurs. In this study, students who
apparent discrepancy could be in the
had studied Business were considered to
students personal experience of their
have had some indirect exposure to
parent/guardians business.
entrepreneurship. For students with limited
or no entrepreneurial exposure sources
Perception
of
Entrepreneurial
such as the media, peers and teacher
Characteristics
become a key source of their information.
Literature (Holt, 2003; Hisrich, Peters and
Figure 3 gives a comparison between the
Shepherd, 2008) highlight various
perception of students who had studied
entrepreneurial characteristics of which
business and those who had not studied
self- motivation, innovativeness and
business.

111 |

DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

If I am an entrepreneur, I would
need to have self confidence

96.6
96.1

If I am an entrepreneur, I would
need to be creative and

100.0
97.1

If I am an entrepreneur, I would
need to be self motivated

96.6
90.2

If I am an entrepreneur, I would
need to be aggressive

89.7
81.4

If I am an entrepreneur, I would
need to work hard

Not studying/have not studied

B/Studies
Studying/have studied B/Studies

82.1
76.0
0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100.0 120.0

Figure 3: Perception of entrepreneurial characteristics by business and non-business

non
students
In all the instances, students who had not
studied
business
perceived
the
characteristics as more essential than the
students who had studied business. There
was no significant difference in perception
of the need for self confidence between
students who had studied business and
those who had not (96.1 % and 96.6 %
respectively). Fewer students in both
groups perceived hard work as necessary
(82.1% among students who had not
studied business and 76.0% among
students who had studied business) in
i a
career in entrepreneurship.

112 |

It was important to find out how students

who had indicated that they would want to
start their own business after school
perceived entrepreneurial characteristics.
This would suggest to us how this group of
students perceived
ived entrepreneurship as a
career. Figure 4 represents the perception
of entrepreneurial characteristics by
students who had indicated that they
desired to start their own business after
finishing
school.

DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

If I am an entrepreneur, I would need to have self

confidence

96.4

If I am an entrepreneur, I would need to be

creative and innovative

97.3

If I am an entrepreneur, I would need to be self

motivated

94.5

If I am an entrepreneur, I would need to be

aggressive

100.0

If I am an entrepreneur, I would need t work hard

82.9
0.0

20.0

40.0

60.0

80.0

100.0

120.0

Figure 4: Perception of entrepreneurial characteristics by students who would want to

start their own business after completing school
entrepreneurship may deter them from
The figure shows that all the students who
starting their own business if they perceive
would want to start business after school
the challenges to be insurmountable. On
perceived aggressiveness as the most
the other hand the same challenges may
important
characteristic
of
the
act as motivation for students who
characteristics listed. Creativity and
perceive themselves as being able to
innovation a well as self confidence were
overcome the challenges.
also considered important by a majority of
the student. Only 5.5 % perceived self
Students were asked to respond on a five
motivation as not important. Hard work
point Likert scale to statements about
was the characteristic that was least
factors that could pose a challenge in
perceived as essential for entrepreneurship
pursuing a career in entrepreneurship. The
(82.9%).
purpose of this was to elicit perceived
challenges by students. The responses
Perception of Challenges in a Career in
were categorized into those by students
Entrepreneurship
who had not/did not study business studies
The challenges that the business
and whose students who studied Business
environment presents in a career may be
Studies. ( See Table 4)
viewed as barriers of entry. The challenges
that students perceive in a career in

113 |

DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

Stude
nts
Study
ing
Busin
ess
Stude
(%)
nts
Not
Study
ing
Busin
ess
(%)

State
ment

Table 4: A Comparison of Perception of Challenges in Entrepreneurship between

Students Taking Business Studies and those who had not Studied Business

If I Were To Start My Own Business After School,

Insufficiency Of Funds To Start The Business
71.3
67.9
Would Pose A Great Challenge
If I Were To Start My Own Business After School,
Inadequacy Of Knowledge On How To Run A
50.5
55.2
Business Would Pose A Great Challenge
If I Were To Start My Own Business After School,
Developing A Good Business Ideal Would Pose A
44.1
37.9
Great Challenge
If I Were To Start My Own Business After School,
36.9
37.9
Fear Of Failure Would Pose A Great Challenge
If I Were To Start My Own Business After School,
Inadequate Support From My Parents/Guardians
32.4
44.8
Would Pose A Great Challenge
If I Were To Start My Own Business After School,
36.9
44.8
Job Related Stress Would Pose A Great Challenge
If I Were To Start My Own Business After School,
64.6
65.5
Strong Competition Would Pose A Great Challenge
If I Were To Start My Own Business After School,
49.5
62.1
Prevalence Of Risk Would Pose A Great Challenge
If I Were To Start My Own Business After School,
Temptations Into Corruption Would Pose A Great
37.9
34.5
Challenge
The findings show that insufficiency of
stress, inadequate support from parents and
funds was perceived as the greatest
inadequate knowledge on how to run a
challenge by both students who had
business were perceived as greater
studied Business and those who had not
challenges by students who had not
(71.3% and 67.9% respectively).Strong
studied business. More students who had
competition was also perceived by both
studied business perceived the temptation
groups of students as great challenge.
into corruption and insufficiency of funds
More students who had not studied
to start business as great challenges than
business perceived greater challenge in the
the students who had not studied business.
prevalence of risk in business than
There was no significant difference in the
students who had studied business (62.1%
fear of failure between the two groups of
and 49.5% respectively). Also job related
students.
114 |

DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

entrepreneurship and were asked, on a five

point Likert scale,
cale, whether or not they
agreed with the statements. Their
perception of success factors would also
suggest to us perceived hindrances to
venturing in a career in entrepreneurship.
Figure 5 compares the perception of
success in entrepreneurship between
students
udents who had agreed to the statement
that they would not want to start their own
business after completing school with
those of students who disagreed with the
statement.

Perception of Success in a Career in

Entrepreneurship
In every industry there are key success
factors that boost the growth of a business.
Possession of key success factors may be
viewed as a great asset for business.
busi
It was
important therefore to assess what the
students perceived to be success factors for
a career in entrepreneurship.
Respondents were given statements on
factors that may boost success in

41.8
45.5

Family business culture would boost my

83.8
72.7
80.9
63.6

Social contacts would boost the success of

Availability of money would boost the

96.3
90.9

Good business ideas would boost the

72.7

Good grades in school, would boost the

0.0

20.0

40.0

60.0

80.0

Agree
Disagree

90.9
100.0 120.0

Figure 5: Perception of Success in Entrepreneurship

want to start their own business considered
ved factors of
it more important than their counterparts.
The figure reveals perceived
success in business. Majority of the
There was a significant
ignificant difference in the
students (96.3%) who would want to start
perception of the contribution of good
their own business after completing school
grades in school towards the success of
perceive having a good business idea as a
business between the two groups. While
success factor while 90.9% of the those
90.9% of students who would not want to
who would not want to start their own
start their own business perceived good
business perceived it as a success factor.
grades as important, only 72.7%
72.
of those
Students who would want to start their
who had indicated that they would want to
own business also perceived social
start their own business perceived this as a
contacts and availability of money to start
success factor.
the business as more important than
students who would not want to start their
The findings point to the perceived barriers
own business.
of entry into a career in entrepreneurship.
Although both groups of students
The key barrier amongst both groups of
perceived family culture in business as
students would
uld be the absence of a good
least important in the success of business,
business idea. Amongst students who
students who indicated they would not
indicated that they would not to start their
115 |

DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

own business, failure to achieve good

grades in school would be another key
entry barrier. The implication here is that
students who do not achievee good grades
would be hesitant to venture into
entrepreneurship. A comparison of the

Family business culture would

boost my business

responses between students who had

studied business and those who had not,
revealed that there was no significant
difference in the perception of the factors
of success Figure.
igure. 6 compares the
responses of the two groups of students.

37.9
44.1

Social contacts would boost

the success of my business

79.3
82.5

Availability of money would

boost the success of my

78.6
77.7

Good business ideas would

boost the success of my

Not studying/have not

studied B/Studies
Studying/have studied
B/Studies

89.7
97.0

Good grades in school, would

boost the success of my

75.9
75.5
0

50

100

150

Figure 6: Perception of success in business of business studies students and non-business

non
students studying business
has the success of an entrepreneurial
Majority of the students in both groups
venture.
perceived having a good business
busine idea as a
key success factor while a family business
Perception of Personal Success in a
culture was perceived as least important. A
Entrepreneurship
good business idea, social contacts and a
Literature (Scott and Twomey (1998);
family business culture were perceived to
Harrison and Hart (1992) and Dalton and
be important by more students studying
Holloway, 1989)) has demonstrated that
business than by those who had not
no studied
the attitude towards self is a great
business. Again this analysis points to the
predisposing factor in guiding students on
perceived barriers of entry into a career in
whether or not to pursue a career in
entrepreneurship. Absence of a good
entrepreneurship.
neurship. Further as Moy, Luk and
business idea poses the greatest hindrance
Wright (2003) noted, a positive perception
while the lack of a family business
of self will determine whether one has
tradition is the least barrier. It can be
what it takes to overcome hurdles that are
concluded that the exposure to Business
ever present in an entrepreneurship career.
studies may have had an effect of changing
students perception of the role of social
In order to elicit students attitude towards
contacts and a culture of family business
self,, respondents were asked whether they
thought they would be successful if they
116 |

DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

started their own business. Table 5

presents the students responses based
upon their demographic characteristics.

Table 5: Students Perception of Personal Success

Characteristics
Class
F1
F2
F3
F4
Gender
Male
Female
Age
<=15 Years
16 Years
17 Years
>=18 Years
Birth order
First Born
Middle born
Last Born
Only Child
Religion
Catholic
Protestant
Muslim
Role models
Yes
No
Whether studying Business
Yes
No

117 |

Agree (%)

Disagree (%)

Total

67.4
89.5
84.2
73.3

32.6
10.5
15.8
26.7

46
19
38
30

78.3
75.0

21.7
25.0

69
64

67.6
78.9
91.9
63.6

32.4
21.1
8.1
36.4

34
38
37
22

81.4
72.9
72.7
85.7

18.6
27.1
27.3
14.3

43
59
22
7

72.5
77.9
76.9

27.5
22.1
23.1

40
77
13

75.5
87.0

24.5
13.0

106
23

76.0
82.1

24.0
17.9

104
28

As revealed in the table form 2 and 3

students had a higher perception of
their success than forms
1 and 4 students. Male students also
had a higher perception of their success
than did female students. Respondents
in the birth order of first born and only
child had higher perception of their
success than those in the middle and
last positions. There was no significant
difference in the perception of success
by respondents from the different
religious backgrounds.
It is interesting to note the significant
difference between the respondents
who had role models in business and
those who had no role models in
business. While only 75.5% of those
who had role models in business
perceived themselves as successful,
87.0% of those who had no role
models in business felt they would be
successful. Important to note also is
that fewer students (76.0%) who had
studied business perceived themselves
as successful as compared to those who
had not studied business (82.1%). This
finding indicates that previous
experience (directly or indirectly ) has
a direct effect in influencing students
perception of entrepreneurship and of
their success in entrepreneurship
(Henderson & Robertson 1999).
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS AND
CONCLUSIONS
The study revealed that majority of
students in public secondary schools in
Nairobi had a positive perception of
entrepreneurship as a career. While
majority of them indicated that they
118 |

would want to pursue a career in

entrepreneurship after completing
school, several factors emerged as
possible barriers to their entry into
entrepreneurship. Majority of students
perceived insufficiency of funds, stiff
competition
and
insufficient
knowledge on how to run the business
as major challenges.
The opportunities to try out new ideas,
being ones own boss and an increase
in personal income, were presented as
the greatest motivators towards a
career in entrepreneurship. Lack of
opportunity to pursue further education
was perceived as the least motivating
factor. Out of the students who had
either parent or guardian in self
employment, majority of them
indicated that they would not be
motivated into business so as to
continue in the family business. The
interpretation here was that, although
such respondents would want to start
their own business after completing
school, their personal experiences in
their parents/guardians businesses may
have influenced their perception of
success in those specific lines of
business.
Several analyses compared the
perception of students who had/ were
studying business with that of students
who had not studied business. The
purpose of this was to determine if
there was any significant difference
brought about by the Business Studies
subject taught in secondary schools.
Business Studies was viewed as a form
of exposure to entrepreneurship. The
research revealed that there were less
students studying business who wanted

DBA Africa Management Review

2012, Vol 2 No 3, pp 101-120

dissertation,
University
of
Stirling, March 1996.
Frank, H., Korunka,C., Lueger,M. &
Mugler,J. (2005). Entrepreneurial
orientation and education in
Austrian secondary schools: status
quo
and
recommendations,
emerald insight.com/1462-6004
Harrison, R. & Hart, M., (1992). Factors
influencing
new
business
formation: a case study of
Northern Ireland, Environment
and planning, 15 (10), 1989, 395413.
Henderson,
R.
&
Robertson
,M.(1999).Who wants to be an
entrepreneur?
Young
adults
attitudes to entrepreneurship as a
career. Education and Training .
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Hisrich, R., Peters ,M. & Shepherd, D.
(2008) 7th ed. Entrepreneurship.
NY: McGraw Hill
Holt, D. (2003). Entrepreneurship: New
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to venture into business

after
completing school than students who
had not studied business. There were
also fewer students among those who
had studied business who agreed that
entrepreneurial characteristics such as
self motivation and self confidence are
essential if one is to venture into
business. There was a significant
difference in the perception of risk and
more students who did not study
Business perceived risk as a great
challenge. The fear of failure in
business was high in both groups of
students.
While some of the findings concur
with literature on entrepreneurial
intentions, some of the findings
however
suggest
that
further
investigations should be conducted. It
would for instance be necessary to
investigate why the Business Studies
taught in secondary schools does not
appear to have a significant positive
influence on students perception of
entrepreneurship. An investigation into
the influence parents/guardians who
are engaged in entrepreneurial
activities have on their children would
also be necessary.

Kelly, D., Bosma, N. & Amoros, J.

(2011).Global entrepreneurship
Monitor 2010 Report. Global
Entrepreurship
Research
Association
Kennedy,J.,Drennan,J.&
Renfrow,P.(2003).Situational
factors
and
entrepreneurial
intentions. Paper presented at the
16th
annual conference of
small enterprise association of
Australia and New Zealand
Kuratko,D.(2005).The
emergence
of
entrepreneurship
education:
Developments
,trends
and
challenges,
Entrepreneurship
Theory and Practice
Linan,F.,& Chen,Y.(2006).Testing the
entrepreneurial model on a two
country sample.Documents de

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