Influences of University Education Support on Entrepreneurship Orientation and Entrepreneurship Intention: Application of Theory of Planned Behavior

Abstract

This study examined the impact of university education support on entrepreneurial intention among higher education students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study adopts the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as the theoretical foundation and examines the effect of constructs of TPB as mediating variables between university education support and entrepreneurial intention. The study adopted a quantitative research approach through a questionnaire survey directed to senior students at King Faisal University (KFU). The results of SEM “structural equation modeling” with AMOS software showed that university education support has a significant positive direct impact on entrepreneurial intention. It also has significant positive and indirect effects through the three constructs of TPB, which were found to have a significant impact on entrepreneurial intention among higher education students. This research result sends several important messages to higher education policymakers in relation to the promotion of entrepreneurship intention among higher education students. The results also have some theoretical implications for scholars, which are also discussed in the study.