Title: Survey of the junior enterprises movement in Brazil: entrepreneurship and innovation in undergraduate courses of higher education institutions

Authors: Georgia Arla C. Khader; Mariana G. Cademartori; Rafael G. Lund

Addresses: Pelotas Dental School, Federal University of Pelotas, 457 Gonçalves Chaves St., Rm. 503, 96015-560, Brazil ' Graduate Program in Dentistry, Federal University of Pelotas, 457 Gonçalves Chaves St., Rm. 503, 96015-560, Brazil ' Graduate Program in Dentistry, Federal University of Pelotas, 457 Gonçalves Chaves St., Rm. 503, 96015-560, Brazil

Abstract: Junior enterprises (JEs) are non-profit companies with educational goals run entirely by university students. The current study aims to analyse the panorama and profile of companies linked to the state federations of JEs in Brazil. The companies' characteristics were evaluated by a cross-sectional survey with secondary data and structured interview forms that assessed 564 JEs. Data were analysed using Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests through the Stata 14.0 program (p > 0.005). The results showed that 92% of JEs come from public institutions, 74% are part of an association to support JEs and 68% of companies consist of one course, with 55% of these from the area of exact sciences. Our findings indicate that the majority of JEs in Brazil are from public universities and are more assisted by support sectors compared to companies from private universities. In addition, there was a predominance of companies in the area of exact sciences concentrated in southern and south-eastern Brazil.

Keywords: entrepreneurship; small business; management development; junior enterprises; entrepreneurial education; young entrepreneurs; entrepreneurial culture; university entrepreneurship; Junior Enterprises Movement; internship.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2022.124789

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2022 Vol.46 No.4, pp.450 - 465

Received: 26 Jan 2019
Accepted: 17 Sep 2019
Published online: 09 Aug 2022 *

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