There is a great need to develop a new class of entrepreneurially minded engineers in America. The research presented in this work is an effort to address these dire needs by identifying the required competencies, behaviors and motivators.
Drawing from a data sample of 4,965 undergraduate students, and 313 EMEs, this paper employs a combination of descriptive and multivariate methods and techniques to address the following opportunities: 1 – Mapping the behavioral styles, motivators and personal and professional skills of practicing EMEs to establish an industry benchmark, 2 – Creating a series of undergraduate maps that profile the behavioral styles, motivators and personal and professional skills of engineering students participating in KEEN programs, and 3 – Mapping, analyzing and comparing the behavioral styles, motivators and personal and professional skills of EMEs, engineers and undergraduate engineering students.
This research examined the construct validity of the TTI survey and its ability to distinguish between engineers and entrepreneurially-minded engineers (EMEs). It is reasonable to conclude that time on the job does not affect behaviors, values and professional skills of engineers. Further, considering graduate degree attainment, only one professional skill is found to be significantly different: presenting. Therefore, graduate degree attainment does not affect behaviors, values and professional skills of engineers.
