Understanding the role of universities in fostering female entrepreneurship in the emerging ecosystem

Abstract

Purpose In recent years, the trend toward entrepreneurship in the emerging ecosystem has grown such that it has become an important driver of economic growth and prosperity. Against this background, the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of several personal, cultural and social antecedents on female students’ intentions to become entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach A structural model is used to assess the entrepreneurial intentions of 740 female students enrolled in private and public universities in Saudi Arabia. Through exploratory factor analysis, a set of observables is identified to represent the relationships in the conceptual model, whereas structural equation modeling is used to test the main hypotheses proposed in the study. Findings Antecedents of entrepreneurial intention were explored based on the theory of planned behavior. The paper extends this theory by incorporating two additional antecedents, namely, university support and fear of failure. The construct of university support was found to have a significant effect on perceived behavioral control, which, in turn, had a positive impact on the entrepreneurial intentions of female students. Further, the multi-group analysis showed no significant difference between female students’ entrepreneurial intentions in relation to where they were enrolled, i.e. public vs a private university. Practical implications Given the relevance of our research to the employment market, this study contributes to efforts to realize Saudi Vision 2030. The results constitute valuable information for policymakers in terms of suggesting steps that can be taken to maximize this population’s contributions to the country’s economy, particularly in regard to the educational opportunities that can support entrepreneurship. Originality/value Although the literature includes a wide range of studies addressing university students’ entrepreneurship intentions, only a few address the antecedents involved in decisions to pursue entrepreneurship on the part of students in disciplines other than business. Further, despite Saudi Arabia’s new orientation toward empowering women, considerations of entrepreneurship on the part of Saudi women are almost entirely absent from the literature. To that end, this study provides a much-needed analysis of the extent to which female students in Saudi Arabia at public and private universities intend to become entrepreneurs.