The Duality of Stress: A Qualitative Study of How Students in Venture Creation Programs Experience and Manage Stress

Venture creation programs are built upon the logic of learning to be an entrepreneur through doing what entrepreneurs do: starting and managing ventures, thus experiencing a whole range of emotions related to an entrepreneurial career. This also involves the “dark sides” of entrepreneurship, such as the stress related to uncertainty and personal risk. Thus, this study investigates how students in venture creation programs experience and manage stress related to their start-up activities. It is based on semi-structured interviews with 12 participants, which are analyzed according to the principles of thematic analysis. Our findings show that stress is experienced both as a motivating force and as harmful when it becomes overwhelming and prolonged, leading to physical and mental health issues. Furthermore, the students employ a wide range of coping strategies to navigate these challenges. While the educational culture supports motivation and fulfillment, it also hinders effective stress management by enforcing norms of hard work and little rest, making it difficult for students to prioritize healthy coping strategies. The study has implications for educators as they can foster an educational culture that balances high-performance expectations with effective stress management, equipping students with the resilience needed to succeed as future entrepreneurs.