An Empirical Study of Entrepreneurial Intentions of the University Students: The Moderating Effect of Entrepreneurial Education

Abstract

This research investigates the entrepreneurial intentions of university students in Pakistan through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), with a specific focus on the moderating role of entrepreneurial education. Utilizing the survey method for data collection and analyzed via SMART PLS and SPSS, the findings indicate that attitudes toward behavior and subjective norms are significant predictors of entrepreneurial intentions across both university types, consistent with the TPB. While direct effects of perceived behavioral control and entrepreneurial education on entrepreneurial intentions were not significant, a significant interaction effect between entrepreneurial education and perceived behavioral control was observed. Moreover, the moderating influence of entrepreneurial education on the relationship between perceived behavioral control and entrepreneurial intentions. The study concludes that entrepreneurial education's impact on fostering entrepreneurial intentions may be contingent upon its interplay with perceived behavioral control, particularly within the public sector university context. These findings offer nuanced implications for policymakers and educators seeking to cultivate entrepreneurship among university students in developing economies.

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Intentions, Theory, Planned Behavior, Entrepreneurial Education, Comparative Study