Education as a key to provide the growth of entrepreneurial intentions

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to analyze the entrepreneurial intentions of higher education students in a private higher education institution (HEI), enrolled in the following courses: Business Management, Hospitality Management, Tourism and Business Relations.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative methodology was used through the application of a questionnaire in a private HEI located in the northern region of Portugal and 228 valid responses were collected.FindingsWe have found out that (1) the elder the students are, the higher is the probability that they will consider entrepreneurship as the first option to enter the job market; (2) the courses of Business Management and Hotel Management are those that influence the entrepreneurial intentions most positively; (3) the more prepared a student feels in order to start a business, the more likely he will become an entrepreneur; (4) to consider entrepreneurship as the first option to enter the job market is positively influenced by the dimensions of the Attitude Toward Enterprise (ATE), namely, leadership, creativity, achievement and personal control; (5) to have a business idea could be motivated by the course in which the students are enrolled in, if they feel they are prepared to start a business, and by the dimensions of ATE.Practical implicationsHEIs and/or regional governments may have an entrepreneurship support office, where students can get assistance in the process of creating their companies and develop innovative entrepreneurial models adapted to older students. The creation of “senior entrepreneurial ecosystems” can be an interesting path to be explored. HEIs can make extracurricular activities available to students. Policymakers must introduce entrepreneurship to primary and secondary education.Originality/valueThis study increases the understanding of the individual characteristics of the students in a private HEI, as well as the courses that positively influence entrepreneurial intentions.