Determinants of Entrepreneurial Role Model Selection among Tertiary Students: Views from Students of Kumasi Polytechnic in Ghana

Abstract

The main objective of this study has been to unearth some of the factors capable of informing the youth on their role model selection.  It has been discovered that role models can affect the lives of prospective entrepreneurs and so there is the need to identify the factors that could influence the selection of role models who can be more inspirational to the youth. The study adopted Kumasi Polytechnic as a case study. The entire data for the analysis was exclusively primary and was collected from final year students since they were exiting the institution. The sampling technique was multi facetted through the use of stratification and random sampling methods. The dependent variable in the study was Role model selection which was dichotomized and for that matter the Logistic model was adopted for the analysis. Some of the independent variables were, Educational background of the proposed role model, Years of experience of the model, Risk in the model’s business, his age, Source of his wealth, proximity and contact with student, Foreign experience, and others. The regression was run to determine how they would influence the selection process. The results indicated that only five of these variables were significant and could affect the probability of selecting a role model even though the combine effect of all the variables was also significant.

KEYWORDS: Role models, entrepreneurial, Tertiary students, Kumasi Polytechnic