Correlation between profile of entrepreneurial orientation of experiential learning programme (ELP) students and their entrepreneurial orientation

Introduction

Agriculture is deeply rooted in India's economy and culture, providing livelihood, food security, and employment to a significant portion of the population. The sector includes a wide range of activities such as crop farming, dairy, poultry, piggery, sericulture, apiculture, and goat rearing. The importance of scientific and technological advancements in agriculture was acknowledged in the early 20th century, leading to the Royal Commission in 1926. After independence, efforts to strengthen rural and agricultural development intensified. The establishment of G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar in 1960 marked a milestone as India's first agricultural university, setting a model for others. Today, India has 63 State Agricultural Universities (SAUs). These institutions aim to prepare graduates to effectively support farming communities and contribute to allied sectors. Entrepreneurship is a vital part of this mission. Entrepreneurs not only create employment but also drive innovation and improve the use of available resources. They assist others by sharing technical knowledge and promoting awareness about business opportunities and government schemes.To encourage practical learning and entrepreneurial skills, the Experiential Learning Program (ELP) is integrated into the final year of the B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture curriculum, as suggested by the Fifth Deans' Committee of ICAR. The program, fully practical and worth 20 credits, engages students in real-world tasks like production, marketing, and record-keeping. It enhances problem-solving skills, decision-making, and business planning. ELP builds confidence and nurtures a mindset focused on entrepreneurship, enabling students to transition from job seekers to future job creators.

Methodology

Maharashtra is a state where a maximum amount agriculture students get graduated each year. Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV) is Maharashtra's first State Agriculture University, overseeing ten districts in Western Maharashtra. Among all the agriculture colleges three main colleges at three different districts were selected for the study. These are; College of Agriculture, Pune (1907), College of Agriculture, Dhule (1960) and College of Agriculture, Kolhapur (1963). The main criteria for selection of these universities is that these colleges are the oldest and well established colleges of Maharashtra. The total intake capacity of students every year at College of Agriculture, Pune and College of Agriculture, Kolhapur are 190 each and www.extensionjournal.com for College of Agriculture, Dhule it accounts for 120 seats. Thus, from a total of 500 students 250 respondents were selected for the study. In the present study, the data was collected from B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture graduating students of VIII semester studying in these three constituent colleges during 2024-2025 who were interviewed with the help of a well prepared questionnaire. The statistical tools used were percentage, frequency, and Karl Pearson's Coefficient of Correlation.

Results and Discussion

Profile of ELP students

The profile of Experiential Learning Programme (ELP) students were studied which made up of variables like gender, education, residential background of the students, vocational training attended, sources of information, economic motivation, risk orientation, decision making ability and techno-savviness. Thereby, the general picture of students were obtained. The results were then tabulated, calculated, organized and arranged as mentioned below: The data showed in table 1 reveals that out of total respondents 125 male and 125 female each were opted for the research. It was also noted that all the respondents were between the age of 20 and 24 thus with an average age of 21.8. Under the study it was observed that all (100.00 percent) the respondents passed the Higher Secondary Education with various grades and opted B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture as their graduate programme and none of the respondents had completed diploma programme. According to the results, 41.60 percent of students come from urban backgrounds, while more than half (58.40 percent) come from rural backgrounds. It can also be seen that farming community still have affinity towards their occupation and thus they stay at rural areas and this is the reason their children seek admission in agriculture related degree programmes. As regarded to the risk orientation, a little near to two third (65.60 percent) of the respondents had medium level of risk orientation whereas 18.80 percent of the respondents belonged to low category of risk orientation and lastly 15.60 percent of the respondents opted a high category of risk orientation. The data can be viewed in the following way that more than two-third (67.60 percent) of the respondents had medium level of decision making ability and nearly same number of respondents had low (17.20 percent) and high (15.20 percent) decision making ability. The study's respondents are undergraduate students who had not completed their degrees at the time the survey was done.

Education

Residential background of students

Vocational Training Attended

Decision Making

As a result, it is clear that these respondents' exposure to the actual world is limited, and they lack experience.

1.9 Techno-savviness The above table shows that the majority of respondents (87.20 percent) have a medium level of entrepreneurial orientation, with 7.60 percent having a high level and 5.20 percent having a low level. This reveals that the majority of students exhibit medium-level behaviour when it comes to coordinating entrepreneurial efforts. Entrepreneurship development consists of three major phases that are: Initiation phase, supporting phase and sustaining phase. Young entrepreneurs would have to develop entrepreneurial traits in order to get into the first phase of entrepreneurship development. As the students were undergoing the degree programme, they didn't have practical exposure of the outside real world like networking, branding, marketing and so on. Similarly, most of the aspiring entrepreneurs were on the current scenario concentrate only on academics. There can be influence of family and peer groups towards the respondents. These all reasons causes medium level of entrepreneurial orientation. Techno-savviness 0.297** NS = non-significant at 0.005 level ** = Significant at .01 level * = Significant at 0.05 level www.extensionjournal.com Gender shows a weak and non-significant correlation with students' entrepreneurial orientation (r = 0.002), indicating minimal influence. Entrepreneurial behavior is driven more by skills, attitude, and motivation than by gender. Government initiatives for women empowerment have significantly boosted women's confidence to start their own businesses. Today, women are actively involved in ventures such as food processing (e.g., amla candy, vegetable drying, pickles), mushroom farming, handmade crafts, agri-tourism, and more. The study revealed a weak and non-significant correlation between students' residential background and entrepreneurial orientation (r = 0.008), indicating no link between rural or urban origin and enterprise participation. Entrepreneurial outlook depends on students' mindset to overcome challenges, not their background. Sources of information show no significant relationship with entrepreneurial orientation, though the correlation is positive (r = 0.060). This suggests students have a moderate understanding of using information sources but lack awareness of start-up-related websites, portals, and apps, explaining the non-significant link.

Vocational training shows a positive and significant correlation with ELP students' entrepreneurial orientation (r = 0.116), indicating its key role in business initiation. It enhances behavioral traits like motivation, risk-taking, and leadership, essential for starting a venture. As students lack prior business experience, training by government or private organizations greatly influences them. Statistics show a significant positive correlation between risk orientation and entrepreneurial inclination (r = 0.145), indicating that risk orientation strongly influences students' entrepreneurial mindset. Taking calculated risks is beneficial when there's a high chance of profit or success. Decision-making ability shows a strong positive correlation with entrepreneurial orientation among ELP students (r = 0.166). Since traits like innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk-taking are key to entrepreneurship, the ability to choose among alternatives is crucial. Quick decision-making is essential for handling challenges effectively. Techno-savviness shows a relatively strong correlation with entrepreneurial attitude (r = 0.297). In today's tech-driven world, students recognize the importance of using technology for marketing and operations. Tech-savvy individuals can generate ideas, take smart risks, and respond quickly-key traits of successful entrepreneurs-explaining the strong link between technical skills and an entrepreneurial mindset.

Conclusion

The study on ELP students revealed key findings based on their demographic and entrepreneurial characteristics. Most participants were aged 21-24 and enrolled in B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture after clearing the CET. Being undergraduates, they had limited exposure to vocational training, highlighting the need for training and capacity-building programs within educational institutions. A majority came from rural farming families, limiting their ability to invest in enterprises. A significant number of students demonstrated a moderate level of economic motivation, risk orientation, decision making ability and techno-savviness which finally moulded the entrepreneurial attitude of the ELP students. These traits were vital in helping a person in starting and running and thereby expansion of a business venture. In addition to fostering entrepreneurship, these attributes will aid in the development of their personalities, which greatly influences how a young entrepreneur behaves. To strengthen entrepreneurial orientation, the study recommends promoting access to government grants, microfinance, crowd funding, mentorship platforms, entrepreneurship education, and simplifying business registration. Implementing these steps could help Maharashtra's youth turn innovative ideas into successful ventures.

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