Cultural Comparison of University Students in Entrepreneurial Intentions, Creativity, and Emotional Intelligence: An Example of the USA and Turkey


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YILDIRIM F., Yilmazli Trout I., Hartzell S., KAYAPALI YILDIRIM S.

Erzurum Teknik Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, sa.17, ss.1-10, 2023 (Hakemli Dergi) identifier

Özet

The added value of human resources has a significant impact on the level of welfare of countries. One of the most important elements of human resource development is education. The success of education systems depends on the qualities of the individuals they educate. In particular, concepts such as entrepreneurship, creativity, and emotional intelligence can be influenced by education and social culture. These elements may vary from individual to individual, depending on their innate abilities. However, a good education, and environmental and dominant cultural factors can improve individual factors. This quantitative study aimed to provide a comparison between graduate students in Turkey and the United States of America (USA) in terms of levels of entrepreneurial intentions, creativity, and emotional intelligence. Within this context, we surveyed 799 students in two different universities in Turkey and the USA. In analyzing the data, we completed a confirmatory factor analysis to obtain structural validity followed by comparative tests. The results demonstrated that the students in the US university had higher levels in emotional intelligence dimensions of problem- solving skills, emotional awareness, and interpersonal relations as well as creativity when compared with the students in Turkey. On the other hand, the students in Turkey showed higher levels of self-control, emotional intelligence, and entrepreneurial intentions. The results were discussed within a cultural context and recommendations were provided accordingly.