The dilemma of 'working for someone else versus owning your own business' as perceived by modern students
A key issue in work motivation is the value placed on work, especially among the younger generation. Scientific publications on this topic are few, and the conclusions they draw are often disappointing and indicate a fundamental transformation in the value of work among young people. Today's youth value freedom in everything, including work. This leads to a shift in priorities in choosing employment options, including resolving the dilemma between employment and self-employment. Since engaging young people in entrepreneurship is at the center of public policy, studying the readiness and capabilities of the younger generation to run their own businesses is of both scientific and practical interest. The aim of the study was to identify the characteristics of today's youth's professional self-determination, including such aspects as students' value attitudes toward work and their preferences in choosing between employment and starting their own business. The study was conducted through written and oral surveys of 361 students studying at Belgorod State National Research University. The study confirmed the complex and contradictory nature of students' attitudes toward work. Although a significant proportion of students view work as an instrumental value, even those who approach it from a purely rationalistic perspective are capable of perceiving it as a terminal value. Students tend to describe their own business in a more positive light than they do their paid employment. However, most students are willing to take on a paid job, either permanently or temporarily, in order to accumulate the start-up capital needed to launch their own business. Students focused on starting their own businesses define their main advantage as "working for themselves," demonstrating an egocentric approach to their future professional careers. They also tend to romanticize entrepreneurship somewhat, leading to inflated expectations. The study confirms the need to support students' aspirations to create their own businesses by developing the necessary personal qualities and a more objective understanding of business through immersion in real-world entrepreneurial practice.
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