%0 Journal Article
%T ENGINEERS AS ENTREPRENEURS: ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION OF ENGINEERS IN SOUTH AFRICA
%A B.T. Nonyane-Mathebula
%A A.J. Buys
%J South African Journal of Industrial Engineering
%D 2012
%I SAIIE
%X ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A positive relationship between economic growth and entrepreneurship has been widely established. The entrepreneur is the key player in the entrepreneurial venturing process. This paper primarily focuses on understanding the behavioural phenomenon of entrepreneurial orientation (EO), specifically that of engineers in the South African context. The assumed EO of entrepreneurial engineers was expected to be higher than that of non-entrepreneurial engineers; and this study found this to be true of some aspects of EO. Factor analysis results supported the view that the EO construct is unidimensional. A secondary situational analysis highlighted the lack of entrepreneurial education in South Africa. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: ĄŻn Positiewe verwantskap tussen ekonomiese groei en entrepreneurskap is reeds wyd bevestig. Die entrepreneur is die kern rolspeler in die entrepreneuriese ondernemings-proses. Hierdie studie fokus prim¨şr daarop om entrepreneuriese orientasie (EO) as ĄŻn gedragsverskynsel van spesifiek ingenieurs in ĄŻn Suid-Afrikaanse konteks te ondersoek. Die verwagting was dat die aangenome EO van entrepreneuriese ingenieurs ho r sou wees as di¨Ś van nie-entrepreneuriese ingenieurs en hierdie studie dien as bewys dat dit geldig is in veral sommige van die aspekte van EO. ĄŻn Faktoranalise ondersteun die siening dat EO as ĄŻn konstruk uni-dimensioneel is. ĄŻn Sekond¨şre situasionele ontleding beklemtoon verder die gebrek aan entrepreneuriese opvoeding in Suid-Afrika.
%K economic development challenges
%K entrepreneurial engineers
%K entrepreneurial venturing process
%U http://sajie.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/216