Harper Life 2019 - Alumni Magazine
What makes students become entrepreneurs? This is a key question for a university with strong professional links, and one that provides a particular focus for Patricia Parrott, Principal Lecturer in Agri-food Marketing and Placement Coordinator. Tric and colleagues used surveys of Harper placement students over two years to explore what influenced entrepreneurial perspectives. Placement seemed to have a greater impact on female entrepreneurial attitudes,but the effect varied from subject to subject. Those studying agriculture tended to have been influenced most by their year in industry, Tric found. “We’ve now got three years’ quantitative data which is showing us that females are having a bigger shift towards entrepreneurial attitude on their placement year. The next priority is to analyse the qualitative data looking at student attitudes, to see what’s driving people’s views,” she said. Collaborative “Broadly, what’s pushing students away from the idea of running their own business includes seeing how difficult running a business has been for parents and not wanting the same, or just wanting to go and work for a big company - not negative to entrepreneurialism at all.” Publication of the research has resulted in a new collaborative project in conjunction with researchers in Canada, Australia and New Zealand: qualitative research with entrepreneur alumni, five years from graduation. The work will use techniques Tric has been developing as part of her Professional Doctorate in Education, which sees survey participants create ‘rich pictures’ alongside in-depth interviews. The pictures can provide a richer narrative of motivations, with colours, fonts and position of picture elements on the page providing clues through a discipline known as ‘social semiotics’. “The results so far have been presented internationally, raising the profile of our entrepreneurial work and the multi-modal method. Some of the findings might influence things we do Entrepreneur? What makes an at Harper Adams to support students, such as by setting up entrepreneurial clubs or sessions.” A link-up with the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s (CIM) Food, Drink and Agriculture group is proving to be very useful, with students able to become CIM accredited while on placement. There are further opportunities for students to join meetings in London, enjoy networking opportunities, and the CIM is supporting a prize for student dissertations. Tric, who has worked at Harper Adams since 1994, as well as running an arable farm locally, is particularly enthused about the potential of placements as a means of getting more students into the pig and poultry sectors. “We’ve previously seen that students have been reluctant to go to into these sectors. Competing companies set up a scholarship through the British Poultry Council, offering positions to get students through the door. We also have placement scholarships in the pig sector. We’re seeing students go on placements who has previously never thought of careers in these areas, but are now staying there, are absolutely committed and see them as great opportunities for them”, Tric was pleased to report! Could you or your company offer support or advice to budding entrepreneurs? Are you interested in how placement-linked scholarships could boost the talent pool in your sector? Please get in touch via alumni@harper-adams.ac.uk and we’ll make sure your enquiry reaches the right contacts at Harper Adams.
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