Social influences on entrepreneurial aspirations of higher education students: Empirical evidence from the University of Botswana women students

Recently, women's entrepreneurship has drawn much interest from African academic researchers and policy makers. However, the educated women entrepreneurs in Africa have been unrecognised in research. To fill this research gap, we explore the future career aspirations of women business students in Botswana, articulating the factors that predispose and trigger their entrepreneurial aspirations. Findings from a survey of 76 University of Botswana women students and a focus group discussion with 10 of these women suggest that although women graduates perceive jobs in large private sector firms as the most attractive career option, aspiration for business-ownership is more popular, including jobs in government bureaucracy. Entrepreneurial parents and their work play the most important role in influencing their aspirations of business ownership. The positive motivations (pull factors) are important than negative motivations (push factors) in triggering women students' entrepreneurial aspirations. This investigation has important implications for researchers, policy makers and entrepreneurship educators.