THE IMPACT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION ON ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS: THE MEDIATING ROLES OF SELF-EFFICACY AND RISK APPETITE

Abstract

The global community recognizes entrepreneurship as a fundamental aspect of economic progress. This has led to an increased focus on entrepreneurial education and its influences on entrepreneurial intentions. However, the relationship between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial intentions remains uncertain. This study investigates the relationship between entrepreneurial education and student entrepreneurial intentions and examines the intermediary roles of self-efficacy and risk appetite in this relationship. The study uses structured online surveys to conduct quantitative research on university students from Qatar. A total number of 76 respondents participated in the research that underwent Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis to evaluate the hypotheses. This study determines both the direct influence entrepreneurial education has on entrepreneurial intention and its relationship through self-efficacy and risk appetite as mediators. The research findings show that entrepreneurship education has a noticeable connection to students' intentions to start a business. Risk appetite functions as a mediator that explains how entrepreneurial education influences a student's intention to start a business. The study demonstrates that self-efficacy does not act as a connection between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial intentions. This indicates that although entrepreneurial educational boost self-efficacy, they do not always lead to enhanced entrepreneurial intentions through their impact on self-efficacy. The research results enhance the current discussions about entrepreneurship education by examining psychological traits in entrepreneurial decision processes. Entrepreneurial educational programs need to develop risk-taking attitudes within learners to achieve better entrepreneurial outcomes. Future investigations should evaluate other mediators together with contextual elements which determine the success of entrepreneurial education programs.