El emprendimiento como opción profesional para contribuir al desarrollo sostenible.Un estudio de caso en un país en desarrollo

Abstract

The concept of "entrepreneurship" has its origins in the 1920s, although its etymological root comes from the French term "entreprendre" from the 13th century, which was related to the action of creating and doing things. Consequently, an entrepreneur is someone who can turn a fresh concept into a prosperous innovation. Over time, entrepreneurial endeavors have emerged as a reaction to the imperative for survival, resulting in the generation of novel solutions through the fusion of available resources. In the context of the Dominican Republic, entrepreneurship assumes a significant role, and its significance extends to multiple facets that have a positive influence on the nation's economic and societal well-being. In this regard, entrepreneurship leads to the creation of jobs and employment prospects, thereby aiding in the reduction of unemployment rates and enhancing the populace's overall quality of life. In addition, it encourages innovation and competitiveness, because entrepreneurs constantly seek creative and efficient solutions to market challenges. This, in turn, drives economic growth and diversification of the Dominican economy. Entrepreneurship also promotes investment and the development of new businesses, which strengthens the country's business fabric and its ability to compete internationally. Furthermore, it grants individuals the ability to influence their economic future and make a meaningful contribution to the advancement of the country. Given the points, the aim of this study is to put forth a research framework and scrutinize the connections among the various variables or components comprising it, among which are attitudes towards entrepreneurship, knowledge about entrepreneurship, intentions to undertake, perception towards entrepreneurship at the university, attitudes about university education, the country's business environment and the affective and cognitive components. After its design and validation, the questionnaire was administered to students enrolled at the Technological University of Santiago, the largest private university in the country, both in terms of student population and its incorporation of compulsory entrepreneurship courses in all of its academic programs. The data were analyzed through the structural equation methodology based on PLS-SEM. The results indicated that, of a total of 14 hypotheses, six have been supported, while 8 have been rejected. In this context, it has been feasible to confirm the impact of the Affective Component on Entrepreneurial Intentions (H2) and on Perception towards entrepreneurship at the university (H6). The influence of the Cognitive Component (H5) and University Teaching (H8) on Perception towards entrepreneurship at the university has also been evidenced...