The Role of Sociocultural Background on the Characteristics and the Financing of Youth Entrepreneurship. An Exploratory Study of University Graduates in Italy

Entrepreneurship studies have tended to give primacy to specific human capital as being the primary determinant of the entrepreneurial choice. Several empirical studies show that in addition to prior parental experience of entrepreneurship, formal education plays a considerable role in developing entrepreneurial activity. However, providing the necessary start-up support infrastructure is also a key element to creating successful businesses. Finally, recognition of how specific components of young entrepreneurial vocation significantly influence funding relationship offers sizable diagnostic power for future entrepreneurship behavior. Taking its starting point from recent research, the proposed study aims at finding empirical validation of research propositions formulated through the construction and the development of an innovative model able to understand the complex process leading university graduates to become advance entrepreneur. The results of the study raise important questions about the identification of potentially influential factors to encourage entrepreneurship among young graduates and the appropriate mechanisms to provide entrepreneurial graduates the chance to achieve entrepreneurial development. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013