John Amolo, Steven O. Migiro  
(Graduate School of Business and Leadership, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa)

Abstract: Academic organizations play an important role in developing an entrepreneurial inclination in their learners. The dynamic environments that universities find themselves in has so been noted in literature. A university has also been considered as a natural incubator that adopts a coordinated approach across critical activities. The activities referred to here are research, teaching and entrepreneurship. The transformation of ideas into an economically and entrepreneurially beneficial aspect to the community can be achieved through exploration, exploitation and evaluation. Through the university’s appropriate ecosystem, the learners are influenced to become entrepreneurial — or not so. In order for a university to contribute to the nation’s social and economic growth, it must transition from modern to post-modern levels. It is therefore paramount that an environment is created, which prepares learners with the social and economic fabric in context. The aim of this study was to explore an academic organization’s environment in relation to the entrepreneurial inclination of its students. Using a quantitative study a sample of undergraduate students from the College of Law and Management Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal participated in this study. The sample was surveyed with regard to the impact the university environment had on their entrepreneurial inclination. Using a quantitative study, it was found that the university had a positive impact on student entrepreneurial inclination; however, the respondents felt that the university should increase entrepreneurial and business programs relating to starting a business. There is also a need to understand the impact of the various components of the entrepreneurial inclination of learners. The role of policy-makers in dealing with this aspiration is very important.

Key words: organizational environment; stakeholders; academic organization; inclination

JEL codes: M2