Research Articles Open access Double-blind peer reviewed

Cultivating Future Graduate Entrepreneurs: A Holistic Exploration of Vital Entrepreneurial Skills from a Tripod-Based View and Evidence

Authors

  • Chacha MagasiORCID iD verified by the author (show author details)

    Chacha Magasi

    Marketing Department, College of Business Education, Mwanza, Tanzania, Tanzania, United Republic of

    0000-0003-0376-8886

    Corresponding author

Cite

How to Cite

Magasi, C. (2025). Cultivating Future Graduate Entrepreneurs: A Holistic Exploration of Vital Entrepreneurial Skills from a Tripod-Based View and Evidence. SEISENSE Journal of Management, 8(1), 76-97. https://doi.org/10.33215/8wpf1244

More Citation Formats

Download Citation

Share

Share

  • 1,020views
  • 1,301downloads

Abstract

Purpose- This study aimed to examine essential entrepreneurial skills as perceived by students, practicing entrepreneurs, and employers in Tanzania, focusing on the ecosystems of Dar es Salaam and Mwanza.
Design/Methodology- A qualitative cross-sectional design was employed, using stratified random sampling and purposive sampling to conduct in-depth interviews with students, entrepreneurs, and employers. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the qualitative data.
Findings- The study identified ten critical entrepreneurial competencies: communication, problem-solving, adaptability, resilience, teamwork, creativity, initiative, networking, leadership, and customer focus. There was consensus among all groups regarding the importance of these skills, with students emphasizing curricula that incorporate real-world challenges, and entrepreneurs and employers stressing the need for practical experience, financial literacy, strategic thinking, innovation, and ethical decision-making.
Practical Implications- The study offers recommendations for enhancing entrepreneurial education by integrating hands-on learning, internships, case studies, mentorship, and practical experience into academic programs. It also suggests a unified framework for curriculum enhancement, incorporating the perspectives of students, entrepreneurs, and employers to improve entrepreneurial education.

Keywords

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Chacha Magasi

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Published in

Vol. 8 No. 1 (2025): SEISENSE Journal of Management View Issue

Reads, last 12 months

2025-112026-10

Article history

  1. ReceivedNovember 9, 2024
  2. Published February 4, 2025

References

Aliu, J., & Aigbavboa, C. (2023). Key generic skills for employability of built environment graduates. International Journal of Construction Management, 23(3), 542-552. https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2021.1894633. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Barney, J. B. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. . Journal of Management, 17(1), 99-120. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700108. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Bhatti, M., Alyahya, M., Alshiha, A. A., Qureshi, M. G., Juhari, A. S., & Aldossary, M. (2023). Exploring business graduates employability skills and teaching/learning techniques. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 60(2), 207-217. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2022.2049851. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Brecht, S., Le Loarne-Lemaire, S., Kraus, S., & Maalaoui, A. (2023). The role of time management of female tech entrepreneurs in practice: Diary and interview results from an innovative cluster. Journal of Business Research, 163, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.113914. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Busch, C., & Grimes, M. (2023). Serendipity in Entrepreneurship, Strategy, and Innovation—A Review and Conceptualisation. . Serendipity Science: An Emerging Field and its Methods, 69-99. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33529-7_5. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.

Dheer, R. J., & Castrogiovanni, G. J. (2023). Cognitive adaptability’s impact on entrepreneurial intent: The mediating roles of entrepreneurial passion and efficacy. Journal of Business Research, 160, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.113798. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Durnali, M., Orakci, Ş., & Khalili, T. (2023). Fostering creative thinking skills to burst the effect of emotional intelligence on entrepreneurial skills. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 47, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2022.101200. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Dwivedi, A., & Pawsey, N. (2023). Examining the drivers of marketing innovation in SMEs. Journal of Business Research, 155, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113409. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

El Nemar, S., El-Chaarani, H., Dandachi, I., & Castellano, S. (2022). Resource-based view and sustainable advantage: a framework for SMEs. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2022.2160486. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Fanaja, R. A., Saputri, M. E., & Pradana, M. (2023). Knowledge as a mediator for innovativeness and risk-taking tolerance of female entrepreneurs in Indonesia. Cogent Social Sciences, 9(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2023.2185989. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Graybeal, G. M., & Ferrier, M. B. (2023). Examination of Pedagogy and Instructional Innovation to Create Entrepreneurs in the Media and Technology Fields. Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy, 6(1), 110–134. https://doi.org/10.1177/25151274211033155. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Hameed, I., Khan, M. B., Shahab, A., Hameed, I., & Qadeer, F. (2016). Science, technology and innovation through entrepreneurship education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Sustainability, 8(12), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8121280. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Hasan, R., Ashfaq, M., Parveen, T., & Gunardi, A. (2023). Financial inclusion–does digital financial literacy matter for women entrepreneurs? International Journal of Social Economics, 50(8), 1085-1104. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Hiebl, M. R., & Pielsticker, D. I. (2023). Automation, organizational ambidexterity and the stability of employee relations: new tensions arising between corporate entrepreneurship, innovation management and stakeholder management. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-022-09987-1. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Hossain, M. I., Tabash, M. I., Siow, M. L., Ong, T. S., & Anagreh, S. (2023). Entrepreneurial intentions of Gen Z university students and entrepreneurial constraints in Bangladesh. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 12(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Ilomo, M., & Mwantimwa, K. (2023). ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS: THE MODERATING ROLE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL KNOWLEDGE. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Knowledge, 11(1), 14-34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37335/ijek.v11i1.178. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Ismail, I. J. (2023). Seeing through digitalization! The influence of entrepreneurial networks on market participation among smallholder farmers in Tanzania. The mediating role of digital technology. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 9(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311932.2023.2171834. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Iwu, C. G., Opute, P. A., Nchu, R., Eresia-Eke, C., Tengeh, R. K., Jaiyeoba, O., & Aliyu, O. A. (2021). Entrepreneurship education, curriculum and lecturer-competency as antecedents of student entrepreneurial intention. International Journal of Management, 1-10. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Kibona, B. (2023). Higher education and employability in Tanzania: Students' account. Journal of International Development, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3820. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Klapper, L. (2023). How digital payments can benefit entrepreneurs. IZA World of Labor. https://wol.iza.org/articles/how-digital-payments-can-benefit-entrepreneurs/long. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Lynch, M., Kamovich, U., Longva, K. K., & Steinert, M. (2021). Combining technology and entrepreneurial education through design thinking: Students' reflections on the learning process. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 164, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2019.06.015. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Magasi, C. (2022). The influence of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intentions: Perception of higher business education graduates. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science, 11(2), 371-380. https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v11i2.1701. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Majenga, A. K., & Mashenene, R. G. (2022). Enhancing Customer Satisfaction Through Listening in Tanzanian Higher Education. In Applied Research Conference in Africa. Cham: Springer International Publishing. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Mashenene, R. G., & Kumburu, N. P. (2020). Performance of small businesses in Tanzania: Human resources-based view. Global Business Review, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972150920927358. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

McCartan, A. (2023). Marketing and performance in small firms: the role of networking. Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, 25(1), 150-182. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRME-01-2022-0007. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Melyoki, L. L., & Gielnik, M. M. (2023). How action-oriented entrepreneurship training transforms university students into entrepreneurs: insights from a qualitative study. Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 35(5), 787-814. https://doi.org/10.1080/08276331.2020.1832831 . CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Meressa, H. A. (2023). Entrepreneurial financial literacy-small business sustainability nexus in Ethiopia. Cogent Business & Management, 10(2), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2023.2218193. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Mgaiwa, S. J. (2021). Fostering Graduate Employability: Rethinking Tanzania’s University Practices. SAGE Open. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Mohamed, M. E., Elshaer, I. A., Azazz, A. M., & Younis, N. S. (2023). Born Not Made: The Impact of Six Entrepreneurial Personality Dimensions on Entrepreneurial Intention: Evidence from Healthcare Higher Education Students. Sustainability (Switzerland), 1-12. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Morris, S., Carlos, C., Kistruck, G. M., Lount Jr, R. B., & Thomas, T. E. (2023). The impact of growth mindset training on entrepreneurial action among necessity entrepreneurs: Evidence from a randomized control trial. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 671-692. https://doi.org/10.1002/sej.1472. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Mulaudzi, M., & Schachtebeck, C. (2022). Challenges faced by female entrepreneurs: The case of the South African learner transport industry. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science, 11(5), 523-531. https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v11i5.1883. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Nayak, B., Bhattacharyya, S. S., & Krishnamoorthy, B. (2023). Integrating the dialectic perspectives of resource-based view and industrial organization theory for competitive advantage–a review and research agenda. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 38(3), 656-679.https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-06-2021-0306. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Ndofirepi, T. M. (2020). Relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial goal intentions: psychological traits as mediators. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 9(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-020-0115-x. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Nikitina, T., Licznerska, M., Ozoliņa-Ozola, I., & Lapina, I. (2022). Individual entrepreneurial orientation: comparison of business and STEM students. Education and Training, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-07-2021-0256. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Olutuase, S. O., Brijlal, P., & Yan, B. (2023). Model for stimulating entrepreneurial skills through entrepreneurship education in an African context. Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 35(2), 263-283.https://doi.org/10.1080/08276331.2020.1786645. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Omeihe, I., Harrison, C., Simba, A., & Omeihe, K. (2023. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJESB.2023.132439). The role of the entrepreneurial leader: a study of Nigerian SMEs. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 49(2), 187-215. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Penrose, E. T. (1959). The Theory of the Growth of Firm. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Raby, R. L., Fischer, H., & Cruz, N. I. (2023). Community college international leaders’ sensemaking: Entrepreneurial leadership skills and behavior. Community College Review, 51(1), 52-74. https://doi.org/10.1177/00915521221125822. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Santhanagopalan, R., & Keysar, B. &. (2022). Young children enlarge the pie: Antecedents of negotiation skills. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General., 151(11), 2788–2811. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001220. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Santos, S. C., Liguori, E. W., & Garvey, E. (2023). How digitalization reinvented entrepreneurial resilience during COVID-19. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 189, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122398. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

UNCTAD. (2020). Entrepreneurship Policy Framework and Implementation Guidance. United Nations. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

URT. (2017). Tanzania Inclusive National Entrepreneurship Strategy. Dodoma: United Republic of Tanzania, National Economic Empowerment Council. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Zaidi, R. A., Khan, M. M., Khan, R. A., & Mujtaba, B. G. (2023). Do entrepreneurship ecosystem and managerial skills contribute to startup development? South Asian Journal of Business Studies, 12(1), 25–53. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAJBS-07-2020-0233. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Zhao, H., Weng, Q., Li, J., & Gao, W. (2023). Linking Career Adaptability to Entrepreneurial Burnout: A Moderated Mediation Model. Journal of Career Development, 50(4), 785-802. https://doi.org/10.1177/08948453221124888. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

Similar articles

Chosen by the keywords and the section they share with this article.