Entrepreneurship education reveals antecedents of intention: what really matters?

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine if the changes that occur in entrepreneurial intention, following entrepreneurship education are related to changes in the factors of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB).

Design/methodology/approach

This research was conducted based on a questionnaire and used a pre-test-post-test group design. A questionnaire was filled out at the start of a university-level entrepreneurship course, and a follow-up was obtained at the conclusion of a semester-long course. Both questionnaires were fully completed by a total of 191 business students from a central Business School based in Athens with a class population of 400.

Findings

The results of this study indicated that the positive change in entrepreneurial intention after the entrepreneurship course, is caused by the positive change in perceived behavioral control.

Research limitations/implications

One limitation of this study is that it assesses entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial behavior which may or may not materialize. Also, the findings of this study should be evaluated across different ethnic groups, before making more conclusive generalizations. Further research on the sample’s characteristics, including gender, age, past career history, and parent’s line of work, would be adding value in similar studies. Furthermore, we indicated the antecedents of the changes in entrepreneurial intention that occurred from entrepreneurship education examining only the changes of the factors of TPB, without taking into consideration additional factors.

Practical implications

The results of this study can help employees, organizations, students, and managers to develop abilities that will aid them in navigating the uncertain future. Also, our findings can help corporate management, policymakers, governments, professors, and institutions to design entrepreneurship programs that can promote entrepreneurship in more effective ways.

Originality/value

MEMORE macro reveals a new approach between the combinations of entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial intention, and the factors of the TPB. With these combinations we can examine if the impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intention is caused by the impact of entrepreneurship education on the factors of the TPB.

Citation

Tsaknis, P.A., Sahinidis, A.G. and Kavagia, C.A. (2024), "Entrepreneurship education reveals antecedents of intention: what really matters?", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 38 No. 1, pp. 27-30. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-02-2023-0035