A survey of business and science students’ intentions to engage in sustainable entrepreneurship

ABSTRACT

Despite growing literature on sustainable entrepreneurship, little is known currently about students’ intentions to engage in sustainable entrepreneurship in Nigeria. Based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this study investigates Business and Science students’ intentions to engage in sustainability-oriented micro entrepreneurship. It also explores the mediating role of education for sustainable entrepreneurship (ESE) in the relationship between the TPB constructs and sustainable entrepreneurial intention. Data were gathered from 435 university students who graduated from entrepreneurship training of a university. Results of SmartPLS structural equation modelling indicate that attitude and subjective norms are significant and positive drivers of sustainable entrepreneurial intention, while perceived behavioural control is negative and non-significant. ESE has significant influence on intention, and also mediates the relationship between attitude, subjective norms, and sustainable entrepreneurial intention. The results will aid policymakers in the formulation and implementation of policies on sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial programmes in higher education institutions.

KEYWORDS:

• Sustainable entrepreneurial intention
• education for sustainable entrepreneurship
• theory of planned behaviour
• Nigeria
• entrepreneurship
• micro entrepreneurship

Acknowledgements

The author would like to appreciate the Editor and two anonymous reviewers for expert review of this paper, and his wife and children for providing moral support during the period of the study. Dr. Okuu Kalu, Agu Paul and Esi-Ubani Chidadi are acknowledged for helping in data gathering. Professors Ogwo. E. Ogwo, Aham Anyanwu, Gazie Okpara and Chinedu Ogbuji are recognized for their many years of academic mentoring. The SmartPLS team is appreciated for providing support of access to the software. An initial draft of this paper was read at the 2020 virtual conference of the Academy of Management Nigeria.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).