Exploring entrepreneurial attitudes of students in Poland: An interregional comparison

Aim/purpose – The purpose of the paper is firstly to identify the entrepreneurial attitudes of Polish students from two universities and secondly to assess the contribution of these Polish universities in enhancing entrepreneurial attitudes amongst students through entrepreneurship education and training programs. Design/methodology/approach – Paper questionnaires were used to survey students studying at Warsaw School of Economics and Rzeszow University of Technology. The respondents were undergraduate students participating in the general module of Management at Warsaw School of Economics and Statistics Methods at Rzeszow University of Technology. Participation in the survey was voluntary. Findings – The results reveal that 41% of the university students were optimistic and interested in starting their own business, but only after gaining a few years of working experience which will enable them to deepen their knowledge and feel comfortable within a business environment. Only 12% of students would like to set up their own business immediately after graduation. The study confirms that entrepreneurial education can positively reinforce student attitudes towards an entrepreneurial career choice within a developing country such as Poland. It is also apparent that students at SGH had more exposure to informal education than those from Rzeszow University of Technology. Research implications/limitations – The research findings are of interest to academia and policy makers. The study suggests that entrepreneurial attitudes amongst Polish students can be influenced by exposure to entrepreneurship education. Overall, the study indicates a need for entrepreneurship education, at programme and course levels, to nurture entrepreneurship among students in Poland. Originality/value/contribution – Very few studies have examined university students’ attitude to entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education in Poland. This study helps to bridge that gap.