In this study, we examine the influence of university-based education on students’ entrepreneurial capabilities. While the prevalence of entrepreneurship education is dramatically increasing worldwide, the education that business and engineering students receive throughout their academic experience wields a direct influence on several entrepreneurial capabilities. The purpose of this study is to measure these educational influences on three specific entrepreneurial capabilities—networking skill, proactiveness, and self-confidence. Moreover, we aim to raise awareness for faculty and students in these various programs as they form networks and optimize the knowledge obtained throughout their education. We test the hypotheses using data collected from 927 university students. Advice for policy makers, university students, and their respective educational departments is further discussed.
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (2018) Engineering accreditation commission, Baltimore, MD: ABET.
2.
ArgyresN.BigelowL.NickersonJ. A. (2015) Dominant designs, innovation shocks, and the follower’s dilemma. Strategic Management Journal36(2): 216–234.
3.
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (2016) A collective vision for business education, Tampa, FL: AACSB International.
4.
BaeT. J.QianS.MiaoC.FietJ. O. (2014) The relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intentions: A meta‐analytic review. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice38(2): 217–254.
5.
BanduraA. (1989) Regulation of cognitive processes through perceived self-efficacy. Developmental Psychology25(5): 729.
6.
BaronR. A.EnsleyM. D. (2006) Opportunity recognition as the detection of meaningful patterns: Evidence from comparisons of novice and experienced entrepreneurs. Management Science52(9): 1331–1344.
7.
BatemanT. S.CrantJ. M. (1993) The proactive component of organizational behavior: A measure and correlates. Journal of Organizational Behavior14(2): 103–118.
8.
BirchD. G. (1987) Job creation in America: How our smallest companies put the most people to work, New York, NY: Free Press.
9.
BurtR. S. (1997) The contingent value of social capital. Administrative Science Quarterly42(2): 339–365.
10.
ChenC. C.GreeneP. G.CrickA. (1998) Does entrepreneurial self-efficacy distinguish entrepreneurs from managers?Journal of Business Venturing13(4): 295–316.
11.
CohenJ. (1992) A power primer. Psychological Bulletin112(1): 155–159.
12.
De Hoyos-RupertoM.Pomales-GarcíaC.PadovaniA.SuárezO. M. (2017) An entrepreneurship education co-curricular program to stimulate entrepreneurial mindset in engineering students. MRS Advances2(31–32): 1673–1679.
13.
De Hoyos-RupertoM.RomagueraJ. M.CarlssonB.LyytinenK. (2013) Networking: A critical success factor for entrepreneurship. American Journal of Management13(2): 55–72.
14.
DiMaggioP.PowellW. W. (1983) The iron cage revisited: Collective rationality and institutional isomorphism in organizational fields. American Sociological Review48(2): 147–160.
15.
DoddS. D.HynesB. C. (2012) The impact of regional entrepreneurial contexts upon enterprise education. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development24(9–10): 741–766.
16.
DruckerP. (1985) Entrepreneurship and innovation: Practice and principles, New York, NY: Harper Business.
17.
Duval-CouetilN.KisenwetherE.TranquilloJ.WheadonJ. (2015) Exploring the intersection of entrepreneurship education and ABET accreditation criteria. Journal of Engineering Entrepreneurship6(2): 44–57.
18.
EcclesJ. S. (1994) Understanding women’s educational and occupational choices. Psychology of Women Quarterly18(4): 585–609.
19.
European Commission (2012) Effects and impact of entrepreneurship programmes in higher education, Brussels, Belgium: Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry.
20.
FarnyS.FrederiksenS. H.HannibalM.JonesS. (2016) A culture of entrepreneurship education. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development28(7–8): 514–535.
21.
FayolleA. (2013) Personal views on the future of entrepreneurship education. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development25(7–8): 692–701.
22.
FietJ. O. (2001) The pedagogical side of entrepreneurship theory. Journal of Business Venturing16(2): 101–117.
23.
FinkleT. A.KuratkoD. F.GoldsbyM. G. (2006) An examination of entrepreneurship centers in the United States: A national survey. Journal of Small Business Management44(2): 184–206.
24.
GolemanD. (1998) Working with emotional intelligence, New York, NY: Bantam.
25.
GordonI.HamiltonE.JackS. (2012) A study of a university-led entrepreneurship education programme for small business owner/managers. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development24(9–10): 767–805.
26.
GormanG.HanlonD.KingW. (1997) Some research perspectives on entrepreneurship education, enterprise education and education for small business management: A ten-year literature review. International Small Business Journal15(3): 56–77.
27.
GranovetterM. S. (1973) The strength of weak ties. American Journal of Sociology78(6): 1360–1380.
28.
HahnD.MinolaT.Van GilsA.HuybrechtsJ. (2017) Entrepreneurial education and learning at universities: Exploring multilevel contingencies. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development29(9–10): 945–974.
29.
HattenT. S.RuhlandS. K. (1995) Student attitude toward entrepreneurship as affected by participation in an SBI program. Journal of Education for Business70(4): 224–227.
30.
HelfatC. E.PeterafM. A. (2015) Managerial cognitive capabilities and the microfoundations of dynamic capabilities. Strategic Management Journal36(6): 831–850.
31.
HugginsR. (2008) Universities and knowledge-based venturing: Finance, management and networks in London. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development20(2): 185–206.
32.
JohannissonB. (1991) University training for entrepreneurship: Swedish approaches. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development3(1): 67–82.
33.
JohannissonB. (2016) Limits to and prospects of entrepreneurship education in the academic context. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development28(5–6): 403–423.
34.
JonesP.PenalunaA.PittawayL. (2014) Entrepreneurship education: A recipe for change?International Journal of Management Education12(3): 304–306.
35.
KasseanH.VanevenhovenJ.LiguoriE.WinkelD. E. (2015) Entrepreneurship education: A need for reflection, real-world experience and action. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research21(5): 690–708.
36.
KatzJ. A. (2003) The chronology and intellectual trajectory of American entrepreneurship education: 1876–1999. Journal of Business Venturing18(2): 283–300.
37.
KatzJ. A.RobertsJ.StromR.FreilichA. (2014) Perspectives on the development of cross campus entrepreneurship education. Entrepreneurship Research Journal4(1): 13–44.
38.
KreiserP. M. (2011) Entrepreneurial orientation and organizational learning: The impact of network range and network closure. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice35(5): 1025–1050.
39.
KruegerN. F.BrazealD. V. (1994) Entrepreneurial potential and potential entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice18(3): 91–104.
40.
KuratkoD. F. (2005) The emergence of entrepreneurship education: Development, trends, and challenges. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice29(5): 577–598.
41.
KuratkoD. F. (2006) A tribute to 50 years of excellence in entrepreneurship and small business. Journal of Small Business Management44(3): 483–492.
42.
KuratkoD. F.MorrisM. H. (2018a) Corporate entrepreneurship: A critical challenge for educators and researchers. Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy1(1): 42–60.
43.
KuratkoD. F.MorrisM. H. (2018b) Examining the future trajectory of entrepreneurship. Journal of Small Business Management56(1): 11–23.
44.
LeitchC.HazlettS.-A.PittawayL. (2012) Entrepreneurship education and context. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development24(9–10): 733–740.
45.
LiguoriE.WinklerC.WinkelD.MarvelM. R.KeelsJ. K.van GelderenM.NoyesE. (2018) The entrepreneurship education imperative: Introducing EE&P. Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy1(1): 5–7.
46.
LindhI.ThorgrenS. (2016) Entrepreneurship education: The role of local business. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development28(5–6): 313–336.
47.
MartinB. C.McNallyJ. J.KayM. J. (2013) Examining the formation of human capital in entrepreneurship: A meta-analysis of entrepreneurship education outcomes. Journal of Business Venturing28(2): 211–224.
48.
MarvelM. R.DavisJ. L.SproulC. R. (2016) Human capital and entrepreneurship research: A critical review and future directions. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice40(3): 599–626.
49.
MorrisM. H.KuratkoD. F.CornwallJ. R. (2013) Entrepreneurship programs and the modern university, Cheltenham, England: Edward Elgar.
50.
MorrisM. H.LiguoriE. (2016) Preface: Teaching reason and the unreasonable. In: MorrisM. H.LiguoriE. (eds) Annals of entrepreneurship education and pedagogyVol. 2, pp. xiv--xxiiNorthampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.
51.
MorrisN. M.KuratkoD. F.PryorC. G. (2014) Building blocks for the development of university-wide entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship Research Journal4(1): 45–68.
52.
NeckH. M.CorbettA. C. (2018) The scholarship of teaching and learning entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy1(1): 8–41.
53.
NeckH. M.GreeneP. G. (2011) Entrepreneurship education: Known worlds and new frontiers. Journal of Small Business Management49(1): 55–70.
54.
OosterbeekH.Van PraagM.IjsselsteinA. (2010) The impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurship skills and motivation. European Economic Review54(3): 442–454.
55.
OzgenE.BaronR. A. (2007) Social sources of information in opportunity recognition: Effects of mentors, industry networks, and professional forums. Journal of Business Venturing22(2): 174–192.
56.
PalfreymanD. (1989) The Warwick way: A case study of entrepreneurship within a university context. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development1(2): 207–219.
57.
PalichL. E.BagbyD. R. (1995) Using cognitive theory to explain entrepreneurial risk-taking: Challenging conventional wisdom. Journal of Business Venturing10(6): 425–438.
58.
PiperopoulosP.DimovD. (2015) Burst bubbles or build steam? Entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial self‐efficacy, and entrepreneurial intentions. Journal of Small Business Management53(4): 970–985.
59.
PittawayL. (2009) The role of inquiry-based learning in entrepreneurship education. Industry and Higher Education23(3): 153–162.
60.
PittawayL.CopeJ. (2007) Entrepreneurship education: A systematic review of the evidence. International Small Business Journal25(5): 479–510.
61.
PittawayL.RobertsonM.MunirK.DenyerD.NeelyA. (2004) Networking and innovation: A systematic review of the evidence. International Journal of Management Reviews5(3–4): 137–168.
62.
PittawayL. A.GazzardJ.ShoreA.WilliamsonT. (2015) Student clubs: Experiences in entrepreneurial learning. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development27(3–4): 127–153.
63.
RauchA.HulsinkW. (2015) Putting entrepreneurship education where the intention to act lies: An investigation into the impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial behavior. Academy of Management Learning and Education14(2): 187–204.
64.
RideoutE. C.GrayD. O. (2013) Does entrepreneurship education really work? A review and methodological critique of the empirical literature on the effects of university‐based entrepreneurship education. Journal of Small Business Management51(3): 329–351.
65.
SánchezJ. C. (2013) The impact of an entrepreneurship education program on entrepreneurial competencies and intention. Journal of Small Business Management51(3): 447–465.
66.
SchumpeterJ. A. (1942) Capitalism, socialism, and democracy, New York, NY: Harper and Brothers.
67.
ShaneS. (2000) Prior knowledge and the discovery of entrepreneurial opportunities. Organization Science11(4): 448–469.
68.
ShaneS.VenkataramanS. (2000) The promise of entrepreneurship as a field of research. Academy of Management Review25(1): 217–226.
69.
ShinnarR.PruettM.ToneyB. (2009) Entrepreneurship education: Attitudes across campus. Journal of Education for Business84(3): 151–159.
70.
ShirokovaG.OsiyevskyyO.MorrisM. H.BogatyrevaK. (2017) Expertise, university infrastructure and approaches to new venture creation: Assessing students who start businesses. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development29(9–10): 912–944.
71.
SmithE. E.KosslynS. M. (2008) Cognitive psychology: Mind and brain, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
72.
SolomonG. T.DuffyS.TarabishyA. (2002) The state of entrepreneurship education in the United States: A nationwide survey and analysis. International Journal of Entrepreneurship Education1(1): 65–86.
73.
SouitarisV.ZerbinatiS.Al-LahamA. (2007) Do entrepreneurship programmes raise entrepreneurial intention of science and engineering students? The effect of learning, inspiration and resources. Journal of Business Venturing22(4): 566–591.
74.
StewartW. H.Jr.RothP. L. (2001) Risk propensity differences between entrepreneurs and managers: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Applied Psychology86(1): 145–153.
75.
TsuiA. S.EganT. D.XinK. R. (1995) Diversity in organizations: Lessons from demography research. In: ChemersM.OskampS.CostangoM. A. (eds) Diversity in organizations, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, pp. 191–219.
76.
VanevenhovenJ. (2013) Advances and challenges in entrepreneurship education. Journal of Small Business Management51(3): 466–470.
77.
VanevenhovenJ.LiguoriE. (2013) The impact of entrepreneurship education: Introducing the entrepreneurship education project. Journal of Small Business Management51(3): 315–328.
78.
VerzatC.O’SheaN.JoreM. (2017) Teaching proactivity in the entrepreneurial classroom. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development29(9–10): 975–1013.
79.
Von GraevenitzG.HarhoffD.WeberR. (2010) The effects of entrepreneurship education. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization76(1): 90–112.
80.
WalterS. G.BlockJ. H. (2016) Outcomes of entrepreneurship education: An institutional perspective. Journal of Business Venturing31(2): 216–233.
81.
WalterS. G.ParboteeahK. P.WalterA. (2013) University departments and self‐employment intentions of business students: A cross‐level analysis. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice37(2): 175–200.
82.
WangC. K.WongP.-K. (2004) Entrepreneurial interest of university students in Singapore. Technovation24(2): 163–172.
83.
WiersemaM. F.BantelK. A. (1992) Top management team demography and corporate strategic change. Academy of Management Journal35(1): 91–121.
84.
WilsonF.KickulJ.MarlinoD. (2007) Gender, entrepreneurial self‐efficacy, and entrepreneurial career intentions: Implications for entrepreneurship education. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice31(3): 387–406.
85.
WinkelD. (2013) The changing face of entrepreneurship education. Journal of Small Business Management51(3): 313–314.
86.
WinklerC. (2014) Toward a dynamic understanding of entrepreneurship education research across the campus: Social cognition and action research. Entrepreneurship Research Journal4(1): 69–93.
87.
WinklerC.TroudtE. E.SchweikertC.SchulmanS. A. (2015) Infusing business and entrepreneurship education into a computer science curriculum: A case study of the STEM Virtual Enterprise. Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship27(1): 1–21.
