The mediating role of entrepreneur education in the relationship between entrepreneur career and entrepreneurial self-efficacy

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to examine the role of entrepreneur education in the relationshipbetween entrepreneur career and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. The study serves as substantiationfor the previous entrepreneurial career studies and promotes better understanding of factors promptingthe antecedents to entrepreneurial behavior. There is a need for more empirical research in this aspectbecause reviewed literature highlighted a number of problems associated with entrepreneurial educationand entrepreneurial career in many nations’ world over and particular the developing countries. Thestudy used survey-based method and SEM-PLS is employed to achieve the research objectives of thestudy. The data is collected from the manufacturing firms in Pakistan.The empirical evidence on the associationbetween entrepreneurial education, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and entrepreneurial career withmoderating effect of SEN will strengthened previously established models such as the entrepreneurial intentionmodel, which is modification in the theory of planned behavior and entrepreneurial event theory,both of which are linked to the theory of reasoned action. It is assumed that human actions are reasoned,controlled and planned. Thus, action is possible for the consequences of the reflected behavior. The findingsare in line with the proposed hypothesized results.The study could offer valuable insights into thestage of entrepreneurial education for a range of stakeholders in Pakistan at particular and the world atlarge. Perhaps it is among the earliest studies of this kind in Pakistan that examined the effects of entrepreneurialeducation on students’ attitude toward entrepreneurial career. The outcomes from this studywould be of beneficial for variety of interested parties including academicians, policymakers, learninginstitutions, supervisory bodies and the public in general.