Article: The Role of Entrepreneurship Education on Student Entrepreneurial Intentions: Mediating Effect of Attitude, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Behavioral Control Journal: Journal of Business and Management (JBM) 2022 Vol.28 No.1 pp.31 - 65 Abstract: Purpose - The effect of entrepreneurship education (EE) in universities has been recognized as one of the important factors that help students to understand and foster an entrepreneurial mindset. Hence, this study examined EE's role in entrepreneurial intentions and its antecedents. Besides, it tested the mediating role of the antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions based on the theory of planned behavior (i.e., attitude toward entrepreneurship, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control) in the causal relationship between EE and entrepreneurial intentions. Method - A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample size of 335 regular undergraduate graduating classes of 2018 students who had taken the entrepreneurship course in four universities (both public and private) founded in Ethiopia. The standardized instrument was adopted from a previous study based on a seven-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. And confirmatory factor analysis was performed to confirm the reliability and validity of the constructs. Then hypotheses were tested by path analysis using structural equation modeling software. Findings - The results showed that EE positively and significantly influences entrepreneurial intentions and their antecedents and that all antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions (attitude toward entrepreneurship, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control) partially mediate between EE and entrepreneurial intentions. Limitations - The present study focused on primary cross-sectional data collected from a limited sample of regular undergraduate students at only four universities in Ethiopia. Thus, longitudinal data that inculcate more sample size to investigate the long-term effect of mediators on EE-entrepreneurial intentions relationships with more variables suggested for further research. Implications - The research findings are useful for academicians and policymakers. The study suggested that antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions serve as predictor variables and mediate the relationship between EE and entrepreneurial intentions, consistent with the theory of planned behavior. Also, there is strong evidence urging Ethiopian universities to strengthen EE through entrepreneurial initiatives, programs, and projects to produce more entrepreneurial-minded graduates engaging in business startup activities after graduation. Originality - Using antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions as mediator variables has been unexplored so far. Hence, the present study introduces a new way of researching entrepreneurial intentions and taking antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions as a mediator in the causal relationship between EE and entrepreneurial intentions. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: The Role of Entrepreneurship Education on Student Entrepreneurial Intentions: Mediating Effect of Attitude, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Behavioral Control

Authors: Messele Kumilachew Aga; Amanpreet Singh

Addresses: Author address listing can be found in the "About the Authors" section at the end of the article.

Abstract: Purpose - The effect of entrepreneurship education (EE) in universities has been recognized as one of the important factors that help students to understand and foster an entrepreneurial mindset. Hence, this study examined EE's role in entrepreneurial intentions and its antecedents. Besides, it tested the mediating role of the antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions based on the theory of planned behavior (i.e., attitude toward entrepreneurship, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control) in the causal relationship between EE and entrepreneurial intentions. Method - A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample size of 335 regular undergraduate graduating classes of 2018 students who had taken the entrepreneurship course in four universities (both public and private) founded in Ethiopia. The standardized instrument was adopted from a previous study based on a seven-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. And confirmatory factor analysis was performed to confirm the reliability and validity of the constructs. Then hypotheses were tested by path analysis using structural equation modeling software. Findings - The results showed that EE positively and significantly influences entrepreneurial intentions and their antecedents and that all antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions (attitude toward entrepreneurship, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control) partially mediate between EE and entrepreneurial intentions. Limitations - The present study focused on primary cross-sectional data collected from a limited sample of regular undergraduate students at only four universities in Ethiopia. Thus, longitudinal data that inculcate more sample size to investigate the long-term effect of mediators on EE-entrepreneurial intentions relationships with more variables suggested for further research. Implications - The research findings are useful for academicians and policymakers. The study suggested that antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions serve as predictor variables and mediate the relationship between EE and entrepreneurial intentions, consistent with the theory of planned behavior. Also, there is strong evidence urging Ethiopian universities to strengthen EE through entrepreneurial initiatives, programs, and projects to produce more entrepreneurial-minded graduates engaging in business startup activities after graduation. Originality - Using antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions as mediator variables has been unexplored so far. Hence, the present study introduces a new way of researching entrepreneurial intentions and taking antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions as a mediator in the causal relationship between EE and entrepreneurial intentions.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship education; entrepreneurial intentions; theory of planned behavior; and Ethiopia.

DOI: 10.1504/JBM.2022.141294

Journal of Business and Management, 2022 Vol.28 No.1, pp.31 - 65

Published online: 05 Sep 2024 *

Title: The Role of Entrepreneurship Education on Student Entrepreneurial Intentions: Mediating Effect of Attitude, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Behavioral Control

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