Study-related determinants of university graduates’ entrepreneurship

Objective: The study undertook an assessment – unique in Polish conditions – of the factors related to higher education differentiating the group of graduates of the Jagiellonian University (JU) in terms of their professional activity in the context of taking up employment or starting self-employment. Research Design & Methods: Lazear’s theory was applied to find study-related entrepreneurship determinants. The study attempted to determine the factors influencing the employment of Jagiellonian University graduates or their self-employment. The following explanatory variables were used during the study: scientific discipline and students’ faculty, professional activity or possibly running a business by the student, mode of study (full-time versus part-time), and scientific and non-scientific activities such as volunteering, undertaking studies abroad, and internships. The analyzes were based on data collected during the alumni career paths research of more than 6000 graduates who completed their studies between 2015 and 2019. Findings: The Mann-Whitney test and parametric t-Student tests showed that graduates of the JU who started a business, as opposed to those who work as employed persons, already set up a business during their studies and then continued it or started other types of business activity. Regarding the two analysed groups of students, there were significant differences in the completed faculty, study mode (full-time versus part-time), student internships, studies, internships abroad, and volunteering. Implications & Recommendations: The results of the analyses can be used by several groups of beneficiaries. Firstly, they can be useful for high school graduates intending to start higher education, as they indicate such disciplines and fields of study, after which the chances of professional success are the highest. The second group interested in the results of this work might be university students, who, based on its results, may undertake additional academic and non-academic activities that could increase their chances of professional success. Thirdly, the management of universities can use the results of research when preparing an educational offer that would be best suited to the needs of the labour market. Contribution & Value Added: The subject of factors differentiating the professional attitudes of university graduates, especially in countries undergoing systemic transformation, is insufficiently explored. Deficiencies in quantitative research based on large sets of data are particularly visible. This article fills this gap by pointing to the factors that significantly affect self-employment or hired work by graduates of the oldest and one of the most renowned universities in Poland.