Research on the Effect of an Entrepreneurial Environment on College Students’ Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy: The Mediating Effect of Entrepreneurial Competence and Moderating Effect of Entrepreneurial Education

Abstract

Background: entrepreneurial self-efficacy is the level of confidence that entrepreneurs can complete various entrepreneurial tasks. It can significantly predict entrepreneurial effectiveness, entrepreneurial motivation and entrepreneurial ability. This study explores the mechanism of entrepreneurial environment on college students’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy and analyzes the role of entrepreneurial competence and entrepreneurial education in the relationship between entrepreneurial competence and entrepreneurial education. Methods: a questionnaire survey was conducted among 1100 college students from 10 colleges and universities in Guangdong Province, and the survey results were statistically analyzed. Results: the results show that: (1) entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurship practice have a significant positive impact on college students’ self-efficacy; (2) entrepreneurial environment and entrepreneurial competence have a significant positive predictive effect on entrepreneurial self-efficacy; (3) entrepreneurial competence plays a mediating role in the influence of entrepreneurial environment on entrepreneurial self-efficacy; (4) entrepreneurial education plays a moderating role between entrepreneurial environment and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Conclusion: present study found that entrepreneurial environment, entrepreneurial competence and entrepreneurial education play a positive role in college students’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Therefore, this paper suggests the promotion of an entrepreneurial education by creating a good innovative and entrepreneurial environment, establishing a talent training model based on entrepreneurial competence model, and building a high-quality entrepreneurial education system.