The Study of Entrepreneurial Intentions and Entrepreneurial Competencies of Business vs. Non-Business Students
Tanja Zdolsek Draksler, Karin Sirec
Keywords:
entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial intentions, entrepreneurial competencies, tertiary
education
Abstract:
Entrepreneurship contributes to economic growth and job creation and thus to competitiveness.
Nevertheless, the question remains of how to stimulate entrepreneurial activity, especially in the
case of youth as a disadvantaged group. The key to entrepreneurial activity is entrepreneurial
competencies and entrepreneurial intentions. Young people can acquire and develop both
through entrepreneurship education. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of
entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intentions and entrepreneurial competencies of
university students in Slovenia from a socio-psychological perspective. A conceptual research
model based on Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the competency approach
was developed, also applying the assumption that entrepreneurial competencies influence
entrepreneurial intentions. The applied research methodology was a quasi-experiment. The
research sample of 837 students consisted of an experimental group (involved in entrepreneurship
education) and a control group (not involved in entrepreneurship education) examined by a pretest
and a post-test. Various statistical analyses were used to determine correlation, comparison,
and dependency. Although it was confirmed that the conceptual research model is appropriate
and that some of the factors studied do influence entrepreneurial intentions, we could not find a
higher level of entrepreneurial intentions or entrepreneurial competencies by students involved
in entrepreneurship education. Nevertheless, the conceptual research model has statistically
confirmed that the TPB and entrepreneurial competencies are linked. It was also revealed that
entrepreneurial competencies partly influence entrepreneurial intentions. This study forms a
basis for further research in the field of entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial intentions
and entrepreneurial competencies.
Fulltext download:
 The Study of Entrepreneurial Intentions and Entrepreneurial Competencies of Business vs. Non-Business Students [PDF file] [Filesize: 1.41 MB]
 10.7441/joc.2021.02.10
Zdolsek Draksler, T., & Sirec, K. (2021). The Study of Entrepreneurial Intentions and Entrepreneurial
Competencies of Business vs. Non-Business Students. Journal of Competitiveness, 13(2), 171–188. https://doi.org/10.7441/joc.2021.02.10
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