Student Support
The Impact of Business Incubation on Entrepreneurship in Trinidad and Tobago
208825 views Print version (opens in a new tab)
Office of Research, Impact and Postgraduate Studies
presents
The Impact of Business Incubation on Entrepreneurship in Trinidad and Tobago
by Mr. Inshan Meahjohn
This research aims to investigate the impact of business incubation on entrepreneurship in Trinidad and Tobago. The mixed methodology approach was utilised in this research (qualitative and quantitative approach). For qualitative research, two methods were utilised: content analysis and focus group discussion. Content analysis was based on previous research material from highly reputed and high-impact journals related to incubation and entrepreneurship (published from 2001 to 2020; period of 20 years). In the qualitative research approach, a focus group discussion was conducted based on planned questions (11 topics) from fifty-one incubator participants.
The focus group discussion developed different themes based on the information recorded from the participants, and codes were applied to the themes. The focus group discussion helped to identify the importance of incubation and entrepreneurship and also the link between incubation and entrepreneurship. It was also concluded from the discussion that interest in business incubation was emerging with graduate students, and also was attractive to them in terms of future career advancement and wealth maximisation. This research additionally investigated over a three-year (3) time frame (a longitudinal study from 2017 to 2019), entrepreneurship in the largest business incubator in Trinidad and Tobago, the uSTART business incubation programme in The University of Trinidad and Tobago.
The quantitative research approach was utilized using a purposive sample size of 106 participants (90% of the population). Frequencies, descriptive analysis, mean and variance was investigated using SPSS. Business incubation was the independent variable, and was measured via its four dimensions of services, mentorship, finance and physical space. Entrepreneurship was the dependent variable and was measured via its four dimensions of job creation, new venture creation, entrepreneurship development and economic growth. The reliability and validity of the data was found satisfactory for further analysis, and the correlation test was applied to find the relationship between the variables. The regression test was applied to determine the relationship between incubation and entrepreneurship. Several limitations have been discussed based on both techniques (qualitative and quantitative approaches and their limitations). Furthermore, the implications of the current study and future recommendations are mentioned in this research study.
Mr. INSHAN MEAHJOHN is a deeply knowledgeable and passionate executive with 22 years of international experience across business, government, and non-profit sectors. He is innovative and creative and his skills include identifying solutions, prospects, and partnerships that provide unique and growth-focused opportunities. He is an internationally published author who is dedicated to continuous improvement in every role and is on the cutting edge of industries, thriving in diverse, future-facing and fast-paced environments.
In addition to his professional experience, Inshan holds a Bachelor of Administration (Hons) from the University of Glamorgan in the United Kingdom, a Master of Business Administration from the Australian Institute of Business, and is currently a Ph.D. Candidate. He is also a Registered Financial Consultant (RFC) with IARFC in the United States.
Wednesday 23rd November, 2022 at 1:00 p.m.
