Abstract:

Drawing on the theory of planned behavior, this study focuses on analyzing the effect of entrepreneurship programmes on the development of entrepreneurial intentions within university students. In particular, this work is a follow-up to a prior research project implemented by the Educational Innovation Research Group of EDEM-Business School (Valencia, Spain). Within this, the attainment of more general and transversal entrepreneurial competences were assessed following student participation (from a single-degree) in a short intensive programme in which a strong business environment was established with students having to create their own business project.

However, in advancing this previous contribution and with the aim of creating greater relevance towards the business world, this study does not just focus on one single-degree but takes a step forward through the application of a multi-level and multi-disciplinary approach. Likewise, in order to confirm conventional wisdom (which is very seldom analyzed) that entrepreneurship education increases the intention to start a business, it moves from competences to intentions trying to identify the students that are more likely to develop their ideas in the near future.

Thus, through a continuous and longitudinal monitoring we argue that higher education institutions focused on a sustainable (and sustained) development of entrepreneurs and ideas could be more capable of identifying, predicting, supporting and accompanying their students through their challenging, idiosyncratic and inspiring entrepreneurial paths, and therefore, contributing to its benefit and success.

Keywords:

Entrepreneurial intention, entrepreneurship education, decision-making, business project.