An Examination of the Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Capacities in the Effect of Entrepreneurship Education on Students' Entrepreneurial Intentions

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Mehdi Jannati
M.Sc., Department of New Business Management (Entrepreneurship Concentration), Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran.
10.22034/jmek.2024.461085.1139
Abstract
The primary objective of this study is to investigate the mediating role of entrepreneurial capacities in the impact of entrepreneurship education on the entrepreneurial intentions of students at Islamic Azad University, Mazandaran Province. In terms of purpose, this research is applied, and regarding data collection, it is a descriptive-survey study. The statistical population comprises all management students of Islamic Azad Universities in Mazandaran Province, totaling 2,565 individuals. Based on the Cochran formula, a sample of 335 individuals was selected using convenience random sampling. To measure the variables, a standard questionnaire (Zhao & Lee, 2020) was utilized. The content validity of this instrument was confirmed by the academic supervisor. Furthermore, the reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, yielding a coefficient of 0.841, indicating acceptable reliability. After data collection, the information was analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS4 software through structural equation modeling. The results indicate that entrepreneurship education has a positive and significant effect on both entrepreneurial capacities and entrepreneurial intentions of students. Additionally, the findings reveal that entrepreneurial capacities exert a positive and significant effect on students' entrepreneurial intentions. Consequently, the mediating role of entrepreneurial capacities in the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intentions is confirmed. Therefore, offering entrepreneurship training courses can serve as an effective strategy to strengthen individual capacities and foster entrepreneurial intentions among students, warranting special attention from educational policymakers.
Keywords
Entrepreneurial Capacities
Entrepreneurship Education
Entrepreneurial Intentions
University Students
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 07 June 2023
  • Revise Date 06 August 2023
  • Accept Date 13 September 2024