Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation, Gender, and Involvement in Entrepreneurial Activities: A Study of Faculty at Pennsylvania's Public Universities.

摘要

The purpose of this quantitative causal comparative and correlational study was to describe and summarize data concerning the individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) level of male and female faculty and their level of involvement in entrepreneurial activities at PASSHE universities. The study was framed by Clark's model of entrepreneurial universities. A total of 220 full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty from the 14 PASSHE universities participated in this study. Each participant completed an online survey regarding IEO and level of involvement in entrepreneurial activities. Descriptive statistics revealed that women were slightly less likely to engage in entrepreneurial activities (M=2.98, SD=2.85) compared to men (M=3.34, SD=3.43), but the difference was not statistically significant (U=5719.00, p=.731). Descriptive statistics also showed that women had a slightly higher average IEO score (M=36.70, SD=5.77) compared to men (M=36.11, SD=5.45), but again the difference was not statistically significant (t(213)=-.77, p=.81). Spearman's correlation tests revealed that for both male (r=.28, n=104, p<.05) and female faculty (r=.34, n=111, p<.01), the higher the IEO level, the more entrepreneurial activities in which the faculty member engages. However, a Fischer Z test showed no significant difference between women and men's IEO and engagement in entrepreneurial activities (z=-.48, p=0.63). This study was conducted to fill the gap in the knowledge concerning faculty involvement in entrepreneurial activities at PASSHE universities. The findings of this study provide PASSHE and other public universities access to valuable data concerning the IEO level of male and female faculty and a quantitative summarization of faculty involvement in entrepreneurial activities.