DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENT’S ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET: Moroccan case 7th Africa Business and Entrepreneurship Conference May 19-21, 2016 DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENT’S ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET: Moroccan case ASLI Amina ZERRAD Jaouad Research professor-ENCG SETTAT Research professor- ENCG Settat Hassan 1st University- Morocco BENCHRIFA Hanaâ PHD Student at Hassan 1st University, ENCG (National School of Management and Commerce) Settat, Morocco « Laboratory of strategy and organizational management » Email : benchrifa_hanaa@hotmail.com Tél: (+212) 6 65 43 18 18 Syracuse 21/05/2016

INTRODUCTION The paradigm of entrepreneurial society tends to replace that of labor society Youth entrepreneurship becomes one of the national agenda in Morocco The concept of entrepreneurship holds a key position in our society, through its contribution to job creation, renewal of companies, and multiform innovation (Fayolle, 2005) Promoting entrepreneurship among students becomes an economic necessity (Leger-Jarniou, 1999) Entrepreneurship is a process that can be learned upstream

PRESENTATION OUTLINE Introduction Conclusion Entrepreneurship concept Entrepreneurship education Experience of Moroccan universities Empirical survey Conclusion

Research questions Can we teach entrepreneurship? What pedagogical approaches can be mobilized by universities?

Entrepreneurship concept Entrepreneurship is the process by which individuals through their own initiative or within an organization pursue opportunities without regard to resources they control at some point. (Stevenson; Jarillo , 1990)

Entrepreneurship education « We can not born entrepreneur. The entrepreneur is a behavior, it is an attitude that can be encouraged, promoted or upset, but we can learn to change our behavior and it can be done » ( Kets de Vries and Stevenson, 2007)

Experience of Moroccan universities Target public: Phd students of management and science, Master’s students of science or management Student’s of higher education establishments (Grandes écoles) of engineering and commerce

Experience of Moroccan universities Pedagogical approaches adopted by business schools: A lecture course Practical work (case studies, testimony of experts and entrepreneurs, presentation of reading sheets made by students, presentation of a progress of business plan)

The role of extra-curricular activities The emergence of the entrepreneurial culture should not focus on the single school framework , but requires the integration of learning acquired through associative experience. The associative commitment contributes to the construction of behaviors required for the firm creation and entrepreneurship in general such as risk taking and initiative, autonomy, team management , determination…

Empirical survey Main objective: Specific objectives: Methodology: Understand how and to what extent it will be possible to develop the entrepreneurial intention among students Specific objectives: Know professional projections of students Know the perceived attractiveness of entrepreneurship Identify socio-cultural factors and academic or extra-curricular activities that may impact their behaviors or their professional choices Methodology: Exploratory survey based on semi-structured interview with business students belonging to ENCG Settat. Sample of 40 students Snow ball sampling

Empirical survey Theoretical framework Theory of planned behavior (Ajzen ,1991)

Empirical survey Initial findings Professional projections and perceived attractiveness of entrepreneurship “job experience within an existing firm is prior and crucial” “When we work firstly in a company , we will be ready to this entrepreneurial adventure and well equipped” “… at worst , entrepreneurship will be an alternative”

Empirical survey Initial findings Factors impacting behaviors and students ’professional choice: “Moroccan society is not able enough to accept the entrepreneurial status. It is a synonym of uncertainty and instability” “ they train us to be employees not entrepreneurs” “I guess that the academic training failed” “It’s not far-sighted… may be in the team works”

CONCLUSION Universities should focus to create highly employable graduates as well as creating job creator that is able to accommodate the business, offer vacancies and help boost the country’s economy (Salwah Che Mat et al, 2015)