An Investigation of Postgraduate Student's Attitude toward Self-Employment (Case study of Campus of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Razi University in Kermanshah)

Self-employment is the best option to prepare people with higher education to find employment in the labor market in the future. Since attitude affects individuals’ behavior, attitude towards self-employment also affects adoption of the self-employment . By strengthening students’ attitudes, they will have more employment opportunities in the future and effective steps will be taken towards social development, especially the development and improvement of the social status of young and educated generation.
In case of unfavorable attitude of the students, officials can prepare appropriate curricula to improve students’ attitudes. Most of the studies in the higher education system that have examined entrepreneurial and self-employment attitudes of students have used a series of preset scales. However, students live in different contexts with regard to culture, society and the economic. Therefore, there is the possibility that attitudes are different. Thus, the present study aimed at investigating the postgraduate students’ attitudes toward self-employment.
The general approach of research was quantitative-qualitative and it was a practical study. Q methodology was used in the qualitative part, but analysis was carried out using SPSS software. In Q methodology , researchers select a sample of individuals who are of particular relevance to the subject or have special ideas. The population in the quantitative part consisted of postgraduate students in Campus of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Razi University in Kermanshah (112 doctoral students and 358 postgraduate students). To determine the sample size, Morgan Table was applied and 212 individuals were randomly selected. Also, in the qualitative part, snow ball sampling was used. Accordingly, some of the postgraduate students were selected as a research sample. After 25 sessions of focus group and person-to-person interviews with 52 postgraduate students theoretical saturation was achieved, meaning that subsequent interviews did not add any new information. In addition, the relationship between individual characteristics and their attitude towards self-employment was assessed using correlation analysis.
Findings: Gender, marital status and education level have an effect on individuals’ attitudes toward self- employment. In order to categorize the attitudes of students and to analyze the data, Q exploratory factor analysis was conducted via SPSSver.20 software. The analysis of Q methodology showed that students’ attitude toward self-employment includes responsible attitude, creative attitude, risk- taking attitude and director-oriented attitude.
Personal traits of students influence the creation and formation of critical and abstract concept of attitude towards self-employment which can even affect their future. Attractiveness and pleasure of being self-employed, puts financial independence resulted from the self-employment activities, taking the risk of doing new things, creativity and the fact that anyone’s destiny is under his control in separate categories.