Determinants of entrepreneurial intentions and the moderation of entrepreneurial education: A study of the Brazilian context

Abstract

Analyzing the effect of entrepreneurial education (EE) on the entrepreneurial intention (EI) in the Brazilian context is necessary to broaden the understanding of issues in emerging economies. The present study provides insights into these themes, analyzing the determinants of EI among university students in Brazil. Using data from research conducted at a Brazilian university, the present study examines the moderating role of EE in the relationship between attitudes toward entrepreneurship (AE), perceived social norms (PSN), and perceived entrepreneurial capacity (PEC) under EI. Therefore, a theoretical model that analyzes these relationships from the technique of structural equation modeling (SEM) is proposed. The present study offers an unprecedented contribution by analyzing the moderating role of EE on the relationship between social and subjective variables of EI in the context of an emerging country. The results demonstrate that EE did not contribute to reinforce determinants of EI. This shows the strong influence of cultural contexts (social norms) and of the place (EE of the analyzed institution) on EI. As a practical contribution, the result points to the need for Brazilian educational institutions to create solid EE programs; those that reinforce content and practical activities around social and cultural norms aimed at valuing entrepreneurship.