Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

This study evaluates an entrepreneurial networking program by the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE) in Munich, aimed at helping students to explore and experience the local start-up ecosystem. A longitudinal study with 37 undergraduates (40.5% female, M_age = 22.97, SD = 2.78) from 12 countries assessed outcomes at three intervals: pretest, posttest, and 6-month follow-up. Measures included gender, role models, entrepreneurial knowledge, self-efficacy, and intention. Paired sample t-tests showed significant gains in knowledge (Hedge’s g = 0.87), self-efficacy (g = 0.35), and intention (g = 0.24). Repeated measures ANOVA revealed sustained self-efficacy improvements, with knowledge, intention, and grit remaining high. These results suggest entrepreneurial self-efficacy is trainable and that intentions and behaviours are stable over time. Qualitative analysis indicated expanded entrepreneurial networks, with some participants maintaining active connections after 6 months. The findings emphasize the value of experiential learning and networking in entrepreneurship education and support further program development and research.

Keywords

experiential learning entrepreneurial education entrepreneurial self-efficacy entrepreneurial intention entrepreneurial network evaluation study

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Abbasianchavari

Moritz

(2021). The impact of role models on entrepreneurial intentions and behavior: A review of the literature. Management Review Quarterly, 71, 1–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-019-00179-0

Aldrich

Zimmer

(1986). Entrepreneurship through social networks. The art and science of entrepreneurship. Ballinger, Cambridge, MA.

Beghetto

R. A.

(2010). Creativity in the classroom. In Kaufman

J. C.

Sternberg

R. J.

(Eds.), Cambridge handbook of creativity (pp. 447–463). Cambridge University Press.

Bell

(2020). Applying educational theory to develop a framework to support the delivery of experiential entrepreneurship education. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 27(6), 987–1004. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-01-2020-0012

Boyd

N. G.

Vozikis

G. S.

(1994). The influence of self-efficacy on the development of entrepreneurial intentions and actions. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 18(4), 63–77. https://doi.org/10.1177/104225879401800

Branca

Vanderstraeten

Slabbinck

Maes

I. M. R.

(2025). The impact of entrepreneurial education on key entrepreneurial competencies: A systematic review of learning strategies and tools. The International Journal of Management Education, 23(2), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2025.101144

Byabashaija

Katano

(2011). The impact of college entrepreneurial education on entrepreneurial attitudes and intention to start a business in Uganda. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 16(1), 127–144. https://doi.org/10.1142/S1084946711001768

Byrge

Tang

(2015). Embodied creativity training: Effects on creative self-efficacy and creative production, Thinking Skills and Creativity, 16, 51–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2015.01.002

Carpenter

Wilson

(2022). A systematic review looking at the effect of entrepreneurship education on higher education student. The International Journal of Management Education, 20(2), 100541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2021.100541.

10.

Chen

C. C.

Greene

P. G.

Crick

(1998). Does entrepreneurial self-efficacy distinguish entrepreneurs from managers? Journal of Business Venturing, 13(4), 295–316. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-9026(97)00029-3.

11.

Chien-Chi

Sun

Yang

Zheng

(2020). Emotional competence, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and entrepreneurial intention: A study based on China college students’ social entrepreneurship project. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.547627.

12.

Cohen

(1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112(1), 155–159. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.112.1.155

13.

Credé

Tynan

M. C.

Harms

P. D.

(2017). Much ado about grit: A meta-analytic synthesis of the grit literature. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(3), 492–511. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000102

14.

Cronbach

L. J.

Gleser

G. C.

(1965). Psychological tests and personnel decisions (2nd ed.). University of Illinois Press.

15.

Díaz-García

Sáez-Martínez

Jiménez-Moreno

(2015). Assessing the impact of the “Entrepreneurs” education programme on participants’ entrepreneurial intentions. RUSC. Universities and Knowledge Society Journal, 12(3), 17–31. https://doi.org/10.7238/rusc.v12i3.2146

16.

Duckworth

A. L.

Peterson

Matthews

M. D.

Kelly

D. R.

(2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087

17.

Duckworth

A. L.

Quinnm

P. D.

(2009). Development and validation of the Short Grit Scale (GRIT–S). Journal of Personality Assessment, 91(2), 166–174. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223890802634290

18.

Fayolle

Verzat

Wapshott

(2016). In quest of legitimacy: The theoretical and methodological foundations of entrepreneurship education research. International Small Business Journal, 34(7), 895–904. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242616649250

19.

Ferguson

(2019). Competing for influence. ANU Press.

20.

Fillis

I. A. N.

Rentschler

(2010). The role of creativity in entrepreneurship. Journal of enterprising culture, 18(01), 49–81. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0218495810000501

21.

Furr

R. M.

(2022). Psychometrics: An introduction (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.

22.

Geldhof

G. J.

Weiner

Agans

J. P.

Mueller

M. K.

Lerner

R. M.

(2014). Understanding entrepreneurial intent in late adolescence: The role of intentional self-regulation and innovation. Journal of youth and adolescence, 43, 81–91. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-013-9930-8

23.

Gielnik

M. A.

Funken

Bischoff

K. M.

(2017). Boosting and sustaining passion: A long-term perspective on the effects of entrepreneurship training. Journal of Business Venturing, 32, 334–353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2017.02.003

24.

Gist

M. E.

(1989). The influence of training method on self-efficacy and idea generation among managers. Personnel Psychology, 42(4), 787–805. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1989.tb00675.x

25.

Hamdi

W. N. F.

Sahid

(2024). The benefits of social media usage and entrepreneurial alertness on entrepreneurial opportunities among higher education institutions students in kelantan. Advanced International Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship and SME’s, 6(20), 01–18. https://doi.org/10.35631/aijbes.620001.

26.

Hammoda

(2025). Extracurricular activities for entrepreneurial learning: A typology based on learning theories. Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy, 8(1), 142–173. https://doi.org/10.1177/25151274231218212

27.

Hassan

H. K.

Igel

Shamsuddoha

(2022). Entrepreneurship education and social entrepreneurial intentions: the mediating effects of entrepreneurial social network. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 860273. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.860273

28.

Heinonen

Poikkijoki

S-A.

(2006). An entrepreneurial-directed approach to entrepreneurship education: mission impossible? Journal of Management Development, 25(1), 80–94. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621710610637981

29.

Herlina

Wahira

(2024). Creating a sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem through innovation in education. International Journal of Engineering, Science and Information Technology, 4(4), 225–229. https://doi.org/10.52088/ijesty.v4i4.647.

30.

Hoffman

Yeh

(2018). Blitzscaling: The lightning-fast path to building massively valuable companies. HarperCollins.

31.

Howorth

Smith

Parkinson

(2012). Social learning and social entrepreneurship education. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 11(3), 371–389. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2011.0022

32.

Huang

S. N.

Yang

C. H.

(2022). Exploring the impact of entrepreneurship education for service start-ups: Perspective from the experiential learning Theory. Journal of Service Science and Management, 15(3), 129–152. https://doi.org/10.4236/jssm.2022.153009

33.

Katz

M. L.

Shapiro

(1994). Systems competition and network effects. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 8(2), 93–115. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.8.2.93

34.

Kerr

S. P.

Kerr

W. R.

(2018). Personality traits of entrepreneurs: A review of recent literature. Foundations and Trends in Entrepreneurship, 14(3), 279–356. https://dx.doi.org/10.1561/0300000080.

35.

Kolb

A. Y.

Kolb

D. A.

(2005). Learning styles and learning spaces: Enhancing experiential learning in higher education, Academy of Management Learning & Education, 4(2), 193–212.

36.

Kolb

A. Y.

Kolb

D. A.

(2017). Experiential learning theory as a guide for experiential educators in higher education. Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education, 1(1), 7–44.

37.

Kolb

(1984). Experiential Learning. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

38.

Kong

Zhao

Tsai

C-H

(2020). The relationship between entrepreneurial intention and action: The effects of fear of failure and role model. Frontiers in Psychololgy, 11, 229. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00229

39.

Koropogui

S. T.

St-Jean

É.

Pepin

(2025). Experiential learning approaches in university entrepreneurship education: A systematic review. In Santos

S. C.

Simmons

S. A.

(Eds.), Annals of Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy (pp. 29–47). Edward Elgar Publishing https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035325795.00010

40.

Korsgaard

Anderson

A. R.

(2011). Enacting entrepreneurship as social value creation. International Small Business Journal, 29(2), 135–151.

41.

Krueger

N. F.

(2000). Competing role models of entrepreneurial intentions. Journal of Business Venture, 15(5–6), 411–432. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-9026(98)00033-0

42.

Lakens

(2013). Calculating and reporting effect sizes to facilitate cumulative science: A practical primer for t-tests and ANOVAs. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 863. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00863

43.

Lans

Blok

Gulikers

(2015). Show me your network and I’ll tell you who you are: Social competence and social capital of early-stage entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 27(7–8), 458–473. https://doi.org/10.1080/08985626.2015.1070537

44.

Lin

Pan

Feng

Chen

(2023). The influence mechanism of the relationship between entrepreneurial learning and entrepreneurial intention. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1023808.

45.

Lockett

Quesada-Pallares

Williams-Middleton

Padilla-Meléndez

Jack

(2017). “Lost in space”: The role of social networking in university-based entrepreneurial learning. Industry and Higher Education, 31(2), 67–80. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422217693962

46.

Longva

K. K.

(2021). Student venture creation: developing social networks within entrepreneurial ecosystems in the transition from student to entrepreneur. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, 27(5), 1264–1284. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-09-2020-0661.

47.

Maloney

Grawitch

M. J.

Barber

L. K.

(2011). Strategic item selection to reduce survey length: Reduction in validity? Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 63(3), 162–175. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025604

48.

Mathisen

G. E.

Bronnick

K. S.

(2009). CSE: An intervention study. International Journal of Educational Research, 48(1), 21–29.

49.

McGee

J. E.

Peterson

Mueller

S. L.

Sequeira

J. M.

(2009). Entrepreneurial self-efficacy: Refining the measure. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 33(4), 965–988. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2009.00304.x

50.

Moberg

Vestergaard

Fayolle

Redford

Cooney

Singer

Sailer

Filip

(2014). How to assess and evaluate the influence of entrepreneurship education: A report of the ASTEE Project with a user guide to the tools. The Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship – Young Enterprise. https://research.cbs.dk/en/publications/how-to-assess-and-evaluate-the-influence-of-entrepreneurship-educ

51.

Motta

V. F.

Galina

S. V. R.

(2023). Experiential learning in entrepreneurship education: A systematic literature review. Teaching and Teacher Education, 121, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103919.

52.

Mueller

Dato-On

(2008). Gender-role orientation as a determinant of entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 13, 3–20.

53.

Mueller

S. L.

Wolfe

M. T.

Syed

(2017). Passion, grit, and entrepreneurial persistence. Journal of Economic Psychology, 62, 99–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2017.05.004

54.

Murad

Wang

Shah

S. H. A.

Islam

M. U.

(2024). Transitioning from entrepreneurial education to entrepreneurial behavior: The role of opportunity recognition, entrepreneurial social networks, and risk-taking propensity. The International Journal of Management Education, 22(3), 101053. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2024.101053.

55.

Nayak

P. M.

Nayak

Joshi

H. G.

(2024). Exploring entrepreneurial intentions: integrating Kolb’s experiential learning theory with Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour. Cogent Social Sciences, 10(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2382283.

56.

Newman

Obschonka

Schwarz

Cohen

Nielsen

(2019). Entrepreneurial self-efficacy: A systematic review of the literature on its theoretical foundations, measurement, antecedents, and outcomes, and an agenda for future research. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 110, 403–419.

57.

Pittaway

Cope

(2007). Simulating entrepreneurial learning: Integrating experiential and collaborative approaches to learning. Management Learning, 38(2), 211–233. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350507607075776

58.

Pruett

(2012). Entrepreneurship education: Workshops and entrepreneurial intentions. Journal of Education for Business, 87(2), 94–101.

59.

Rauch

Hulsink

(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 & Education, 14(2), 187–204. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2012.0293

60.

Rocha

R. G.

do Paço

Alves

(2024). Entrepreneurship education for non-business students: A social learning perspective. The International Journal of Management Education, 22(2), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2024.100974.

61.

Sánchez

J. C.

(2011). University training for entrepreneurial competencies: Its impact on intention of venture creation. The International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 7(2), 239–254.

62.

Shinnar

Pruett

Toney

(2009). Entrepreneurship education: Attitudes across campus. Journal of Education for Business, 84, 151–158.

63.

Shook

C. L.

Priem

R. L.

McGee

J. E.

(2003). Venture creation and the enterprising individual: A review and synthesis. Journal of Management, 23(3), 379–399.

64.

Tabachnick

B. G.

Fidell

L. S.

(2013). Using multivariate statistics (6th ed.). Pearson.

65.

Taneja

Kiran

Bose

S. C.

(2023). Understanding the relevance of experiential learning for entrepreneurial self-efficacy: A gender-wise perspective. The International Journal of Management Education, 21(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2022.100760.

66.

Taneja

Kiran

Bose

S. C.

(2024). Assessing entrepreneurial intentions through experiential learning, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and entrepreneurial attitude. Studies in Higher Education, 49(1), 98–118.

67.

Tang

Werner

C. H.

(2017). An interdisciplinary and intercultural approach to creativity and innovation: Evaluation of the EMCI ERASMUS intensive program. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 24, 268–278.

68.

Tsou

Steel

Osiyevskyy

(2023). The relationship between entrepreneurial intention and behavior: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 12(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/14657503231214389.

69.

Wasim

Youssef

M. H.

Christodoulou

Reinhardt

(2024). The path to entrepreneurship: The role of social networks in driving entrepreneurial learning and education. Journal of Management Education, 48(3), 459–493.

70.

Duval-Couetil

(2022). Standards for evaluating impact in entrepreneurship education research: Using a descriptive validity framework to enhance methodological rigor and transparency. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 46(6), 1685–1716.

71.

Zampetakis

L. A.

Moustakis

(2006). Linking creativity with entrepreneurial intentions: A structural approach. The International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 2(3), 413–428. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-006-0006-z

72.

Zhao

Seibert

Hills

(2005). The mediating role of self-efficacy in the development of entrepreneurial intentions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 1265–1272.

73.

Zhou

(2024). Utilizing social media platforms to foster entrepreneurial communication among start-up communities. Profesional De La Informacion, 33(5), e330525. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2024.ene.0525.

Exploring Entrepreneurial Possibilities Through Experiential Learning and Networking: Evaluation and Implications of the SCE Incoming Week

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References