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May business mentors act as opportunity brokers and enablers among university students?

Author

Listed:
  • Étienne St-Jean

    (Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières)

  • Maripier Tremblay

    (Université Laval)

  • Frank Janssen

    (Université Catholique de Louvain)

  • Jacques Baronet

    (Université de Sherbrooke)

  • Christophe Loué

    (NOVANCIA)

  • Aziz Nafa

    (Centre de Recherche en Économie Appliquée pour le Développement (CREAD))

Abstract

Networks are recognized as a central component of the entrepreneurial process, in particular with regard to opportunity identification and exploitation. In this study, we specifically analyze the role of mentors who are in business as opportunity brokers and enablers among university students with entrepreneurial intentions. Our investigation on 1022 students from 13 French-language universities based in Canada, France, Belgium and Algeria indicates that mentors in business, contrary to other mentors, support opportunity identification and exploitation among university students. Although student gender, entrepreneurial experience and education have a more pronounced effect, mentoring is the only element that can be controlled for through the creation of formal support programs. These results call on public authorities, and universities in particular, to implement formal mentoring programs to support students who are interested in starting their own business, and who would not otherwise have access to business mentors in their environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Étienne St-Jean & Maripier Tremblay & Frank Janssen & Jacques Baronet & Christophe Loué & Aziz Nafa, 2017. "May business mentors act as opportunity brokers and enablers among university students?," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 97-111, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:intemj:v:13:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s11365-016-0397-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s11365-016-0397-4
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    3. Dorian Boumedjaoud & Karim Messeghem, 2020. "Vigilance entrepreneuriale du repreneur externe et mentorat : rôle de l'accompagnement en amont," Post-Print hal-02569210, HAL.
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    6. Ricardo Teruel‐Sánchez & Antonio Juan Briones‐Peñalver & Juan Andrés Bernal‐Conesa & Carmen de Nieves‐Nieto, 2021. "Influence of the entrepreneur's capacity in business performance," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 2453-2467, July.

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