Social microentrepreneurs as a reference model for university entrepreneurs

Abstract

In response to social and economic changes in the international context, educational models are striving to promote the training of professionals who possess knowledge, skills, abilities, and qualities that are adaptable to meet the evolving demands of society. The aim of this study is to analyze why students who provide social service in the Research, Assistance, and Teaching Program of the Micro and Small Business (PIADMYPE, for its Spanish acronym)  at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC) have had opportunities to become entrepreneurs, starting from a learning-by-serving scheme. To collect data, a survey was conducted to understand the prospects of these graduates. The results indicate that young people who participated in social service were inclined to become entrepreneurs because the micro-entrepreneurs they served as part of their learning process became de facto reference models.