Attraction, passion and confidence: the paths to undergraduates’ entrepreneurial intentions

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to assess how undergraduates’ exposure to entrepreneurship education (EE) may increase their volitional desire and behavioral control to start-up a business. Design/methodology/approach The model establishes three different paths from EE to entrepreneurial intention (EI): attraction and passion through desire and confidence through control. These paths are assessed by partial least-squares structural equation modeling in a sample of 650 undergraduates from Poland, Turkey and Portugal. Findings The most effective way by which EE may increase EI is by promoting a favorable change in the attractiveness of the entrepreneurship career. Contrary to expectations based on the literature, the effects of EE on perceived behavioral control are weak and limited to aspects related to financial control. Practical implications EE programs should consider desire and control in different phases of training, with the following learning outcomes: explore prospective rewards of an attractive entrepreneurial career, develop self-efficacy regarding management competences and gain control by assuring skills to cope with failure. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to establish a path from EE to EI through passion and desire. It is also the first to consider entrepreneurial passion as a positive anticipated emotion in the model of goal-directed behavior. The results allow to relate the different paths with different learning outcomes of EE programs.