A Dissertation Final DefenseLaTrice C. Moore, Doctoral CandidateArgosy University, Tampa CampusMay 23, 2010

Entrepreneurial Characteristics & Attitudes: A Cross-Disciplinary Look at

Millennials Enrolled at a Central Florida Community College

Significance of Problem and Rational for Study

To remain competitive U.S. graduates need entrepreneurial thinking

2008, approximately 300 of the nation’s 1100 community colleges offered an entrepreneurship program (NACCE, 2008)

Lack of academic research

Variables

Dependent: Entrepreneurial characteristics and attitudes

Kolb Learning Styles Inventory (Kolb & Kolb, 2005) Entrepreneurial Attitude Orientation Scale

(Robinson et al., 1991).

Kolb’s Learning Styles Inventory (KSLI 3.1)

Learning is conceived of as a 4-stage cycle.

Kolb’s Learning Styles Inventory

Diverging Assimilating

Converging Accommodating

Entrepreneurial Attitude Orientation Scale (EAO)

Attitude approach to predicting entrepreneurs Robinson et al. (1991).

Achievement in Business

Innovativeness in Business

Perceived Personal Control

of Business Outcomes

Perceived Self-Esteem in Business

Variables

Independent: The independent variables to be examined in this study include student majors (business and non-business) and all other demographics.

Demographics

Age RangeGenderEthnicityBirth OrderEnrollmentMajor

Home CampusFuture PlansParent’s Business

OwnershipSocial NetworkingOrganized SportsEmployment

Population

The Millennial GenerationBorn between 1982-2000 (McAlister, 2009).

Ages 18-28 for studyKnown as the “safe generation” 75% of them share their parents’ beliefs and

values Characterizing as special, confident, achieving,

and pressured (DeBard (2004).

Population

Total enrollment is 22,789 (09-10) Millennials represent 27.5% or 6,268 of the

total enrollment

Campus A Campus B Credit Headcount

2,691 2,207

Non-Credit Headcount

225 211

Dual Enrollment

437 497

Total Enrollment

3,353 2,915

Sample

Central Florida community collegeCollege Success Course (SLS 1101) Spring 2010 academic yearStudents 18 and over375 students

Survey Administration

11 out 15 classes participated in study 7 Campus A 4 Campus B.

Administered over 4 days227 surveys turned in

135 from Campus A 92 from Campus B

33 were unusableUsable surveys 194

Descriptive Statistics

Demographics

Age 88% Millennials 12% Non-Millennials

Gender 54% Female 46% Male

Ethnicity 57% Caucasian, 21% African-American

15% Latino/Hispanic, 4% Multi-Racial

Birth Order 11% Only Child, 33% Youngest Child

32% Oldest Child, 24% Middle Child

Academic Major 20% Business, 74% Non-Business

6% Undecided

Years Enrolled 50% Less than 1 year 42% 1-2 years

Home Campus 62% Campus A 38% Campus B

Plans After Graduation 54% Transfer to another college/university

26% Obtain a Job

Descriptive Statistics

Demographic

Parents’ Business Ownership

78% No 22% Yes

Type of Business Owned by Parent

28% Retail, 28% Construction

25% Professional, 11% Landscaping

Employment Status 22% No 78% Yes

Place of Employment 36% Retail, 26% Hospitality

8% Medical, 7% Education

Social Networking Membership

64% 1-2 sites, 19% 3-4 sites

11% None, 6% 5-7 sites

Organized Sports Participation

63% None 33% 1-2 sports

Research Question 1 (RQ1)

Are certain personality traits associated with entrepreneurial characteristics present in millennials enrolled at a Central Florida community college interested in pursuing an associate’s degree in business and non-business college programs?

Accommodating Diverging

Converging Assimilating

AC-CE

AE-RO

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

0102030405060708090100

24 22 20 18 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -5 -7 -9 -11 -13 -15

-22-18-14-12-10-8-6-4-2-10246810111213151719212325272930

Major N MeanKOLB-AC-CE Business 28 3.3214

Non-Business 131 3.2443

Undecided 12 5

Total 171 3.3801

KOLB AE-RO Business 28 1.5714

Non-Business 131 3.6565

Undecided 12 4.25

Total 171 3.3567

Results of RQ1 Testing

Results of RQ1 Testing

Yes, certain personality traits associated with entrepreneurial characteristics are present in millennials who are pursuing either a business or non-business associate’s degree. The personality trait present in millennials is learning by feeling as described by Caird (1993).

Research Question 2 (RQ2)

Are entrepreneurial attitudes present in millennials enrolled at a Central Florida community college interested in pursuing an associate’s degree in business and non-business college programs?

Innovation

Minimum 7

Maximum70

Achievement

Minimum8

Maximum80

Self-Esteem

Minimum5

Maximum50

Personal Control

Minimum1

Maximum10

    N Mean       

EAO-SE Business 28 32.0714

Non-Business 131 29.9313

Undecided 12 31.0833

Total 171 30.3626

EAO-ACH Business 28 61.4286

Non-Business 131 56.6718

Undecided 12 46.8333

Total 171 56.7602

EAO-INN Business 28 49.6071

Non-Business 131 46.1069

Undecided 12 41.5833

Total 171 46.3626

EAO-PC Business 28 7.25

Non-Business 131 6.8244

Undecided 12 5.8333

Total 171 6.8246

Results of RQ2 Testing

Results of RQ2 Testing

Yes, entrepreneurial attitudes are present in millennials enrolled at a Central Florida community college who are interested in pursuing an associate’s degree in business and non-business college programs.

Research Question 3 (RQ3)

RQ3: Are there differences in demographics in relation to certain personality traits associated with entrepreneurial characteristics and attitudes in millennials enrolled at a Central Florida community college interested in pursuing an associate’s degree in business and non-business college programs?

Results of RQ3 Testing

Focused on whether there are differences in certain personality traits associated with entrepreneurial characteristics and entrepreneurial attitudes in relation to demographics (age, gender, major, birth order, and so on) in millennials interested in pursuing an associate’s degree in business and non-business college programs?

H1o and H2o

Hypotheses

H1o: There is not a significant difference in the presence of certain personality traits associated with entrepreneurial characteristics and attitudes in millennials by college major (business and non-business).

H2o: There is not a significant difference in demographics in relation to certain personality traits associated with entrepreneurial characteristics or attitudes by college major (business and non-business).

State of Nature

Conclusion Drawn

Null is True(H1o True)

Null is False(H1o False)

No Significant difference in the presence of certain personality traits associated with entrepreneurial characteristics and entrepreneurial attitudes in millennials by college major (business & non-business)

Correct decision

(true positive)

Type II error

(false negative)

A Significant difference in the presence of certain personality traits associated with entrepreneurial characteristics and entrepreneurial attitudes in millennials by college major (business & non-business)

Type I error

(false positive)

Correct decision

(true negative)

State of Nature

Conclusion Drawn

Null is True(H2o True)

Null is False(H2o False)

No Significant difference in the presence of certain personality traits associated with entrepreneurial characteristics and entrepreneurial attitudes in relation to demographics by college major (business & non-business)

Correct decision

(true positive)

Type II error

(false negative)

A Significant difference in the presence of certain personality traits associated with entrepreneurial characteristics and entrepreneurial attitudes in relation to demographics by college major (business & non-business)

Type I error

(false positive)

Correct decision

(true negative)

Research Question 4 (RQ4)

Are there differences in certain personality traits associated with entrepreneurial characteristics and attitudes in millennials and nonmillennials enrolled at a Central Florida community college interested in pursuing an associate’s degree in business and non-business college programs?

Result of RQ4 Testing

Focused on whether there are differences in certain personality traits associated with entrepreneurial characteristics and entrepreneurial attitudes between millennials and non-millennials interested in pursuing an associate’s degree in business and non-business college programs.

H3o

Hypotheses

H3o: There is not a significant difference in certain personality traits associated with entrepreneurial characteristics or attitudes between millennials and nonmillennials.

State of Nature

Conclusion Drawn

Null is True(H3o True)

Null is False(H3o False)

No Significant difference in the presence of certain personality traits associated with entrepreneurial characteristics and entrepreneurial attitudes between millennials and non-millennials.

Correct decision

(true positive)

Type II error

(false negative)

A Significant difference in the presence of certain personality traits associated with entrepreneurial characteristics and entrepreneurial attitudes between millennials and non-millennials.

Type I error

(false positive)

Correct decision

(true negative)

Conclusion

Preferred learning style of millennials was “diverging”

The higher mean scores indicate a more positive attitude towards entrepreneurship

No differences in the demographics of millennials in relation entrepreneurial characteristics and entrepreneurial attitudes.

No difference in entrepreneurial characteristics or attitudes between millennials and non-millennials.

Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurship Program

For colleges to meet the workforce needs of the local community, entrepreneurship programs must be open to students from all disciplines to help them compete locally and globally.

Limitations and Delimitations

Limitations Millennial generation

values speed over accuracy.

Use of multiple survey scales may cause unintentional bias.

Honest answers

Delimitations Community college

and not a traditional four-year university or college

Major may change after this study

Limited life experiences

Course selected

Future Research

Millennials who have started a businessMinority entrepreneurs and non-

minority entrepreneurs’ entrepreneurial characteristics and entrepreneurial attitudes

“I am calling on our nation’s governor and state education chiefs to develop standards and assessments that don’t simply measure whether students can fill in a bubble on a test, but whether they possess 21st century skills like problem-solving and critical thinking, entrepreneurship and creativity”

- President Barack ObamaTaking on Education

March 10, 2009