Entrepreneurship education, academic major, and university students’ social entrepreneurial intention: the perspective of Planned Behavior Theory

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study draws on the Theory of Planned Behavior to empirically examine the relationships between attitude toward behavior, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control and university students’ social entrepreneurial intentions, while also examining the moderating roles of entrepreneurship education and academic major. Through multiple linear regression analysis, we tested our hypotheses on a sample of 832 college students for their social entrepreneurial intentions. Results indicate that all aspects of the Theory of Planned Behavior have a positive and significant impact on social entrepreneurial intention. More interestingly, the positive effects of attitude toward behavior and perceived behavioral control on social entrepreneurship intention are strengthened when students attend a university entrepreneurship program and have a non-business major. On the basis of three-way interaction analysis, our findings suggest that college students’ social entrepreneurship intention is highest for non-business majors with a favorable attitude towards behavior, have strong behavioral control, and receive entrepreneurship education. This paper elucidates behavioral mechanisms that determine university students’ intention to engage in social enterprises.