From necessity to business entrepreneurship: The case of the Songhai center, Porto Novo, Benin

摘要

The “push theory" maintains that individuals are pushed into entrepreneurship by negative external forces. The resulting activity is referred to as necessity entrepreneurship. The “pull theory” contends that individuals are attracted to entrepreneurial activities because they seek self-fulfillment resulting in business or opportunity entrepreneurship. In the present study we used the McClelland's typology of business/opportunity entrepreneurship: "need for achievement," "need for affiliation," and "need for power", in order to analyze the entrepreneurship capabilities of Songhai's students participating to the 18-month training program. We identify the entrepreneurial intentions and interests required to differentiate between entrepreneurs at the necessity level and those at McClelland's "need for achievement," "need for affiliation," or "need for power" levels of business entrepreneurship. According to the McClelland's typology, most Songhai students are potential business entrepreneurs in "need for achievement," and in "need for affiliation" level.