Unravelling the conundrum of entrepreneurial intentions, entrepreneurship education, and entrepreneurial characteristics

Abstract

Orientation: Against the backdrop of recent youth unemployment dynamics, scholars have increasingly focused their attention on youth entrepreneurial intentions and their associated factors, such as entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial characteristics.Research purpose: This article investigated the individual and combined effect of entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial characteristics on youth entrepreneurial intentions.Motivation for the study: Notwithstanding the popularity of entrepreneurship education, its impact on learners’ entrepreneurial intentions is still not clearly established in the literature. Moreover, whilst there is a growing consensus about the influence of certain entrepreneurial characteristics on entrepreneurial intentions, rarely has the role of entrepreneurship education in this relationship been examined.Research design, approach and method: Data for the analysis came from a cross-sectional survey of secondary students enrolled in Junior Achievement South Africa (JASA)’s Mini Enterprise Programme and a control group of secondary students. The data-collection instrument was a questionnaire compiled from previously validated statements, which was validly completed by 827 respondents.Main findings: Hierarchical logistic regression analysis revealed that entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial characteristics per se do not influence entrepreneurial intentions positively. However, once interaction effects were introduced, entrepreneurship education moderated the influence of need for achievement and family support on entrepreneurial intentions in a positive direction.Practical/managerial implications: Entrepreneurship-education-and-training institutions such as JASA should selectively screen their candidates to ensure that they also possess need for achievement and support from their close family. Contribution/value add: This is the first study investigating both the individual and combined effect of entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial characteristics on secondary students’ entrepreneurial intentions.