Determinant factors in entrepreneurial intention among Social Work degree students: the moderating effect of entrepreneurship education
ISSN: 1750-8614
Article publication date: 25 March 2022
Issue publication date: 21 November 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that determine the entrepreneurial intention (EI) among Social Work degree students. This study considers the direct influence of personal traits, demographic characteristics, informal education and entrepreneurship education (EE) and, in addition, the possible moderating effect of EE on the other factors.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of 139 undergraduate students registered in the Social Work degree offered by the University of Zaragoza (Spain) is analyzed, by using a longitudinal system based on questionnaires that were passed at two different times – before and after receiving the EE. Logistic regression models are built and estimated according to the explicative variables.
Findings
The results indicate that demographic factors, personality traits, professional experience and EE are significant factors in fostering social entrepreneurship among Social Work students. Additionally, EE has a moderating effect on the other variables, but only partially and not always positive.
Practical implications
The entrepreneurial initiative of social workers can make a very valuable contribution through the start-up of social enterprises. The findings suggest the convenience of promoting EE in the Social Work degree, with teaching contents and methodologies adapted to social entrepreneurship. Nevertheless, the interaction of educational methodologies with the other determinants does not always have a positive impact on EI.
Originality/value
This paper investigates EI in the context of undergraduate Social Work students, and this is a novel methodological approach. In addition to the analysis of the direct influence of the determinants of EI, we add the possible moderating effect of EE on the influence of the other explanatory variables.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Department of Science, University and Knowledge Society of the Government of Aragón (Research Groups: [S42_20R: CREVALOR] and [E46-20R: Stochastic Models]) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (Grant Nos. PID2020-113338RB-I00 and PID2020-116873GB-I00).
Citation
García-Uceda, E., Murillo-Luna, J.L. and Asín Lafuente, J. (2022), "Determinant factors in entrepreneurial intention among Social Work degree students: the moderating effect of entrepreneurship education", Social Enterprise Journal, Vol. 18 No. 4, pp. 563-584. https://doi.org/10.1108/SEJ-07-2021-0061
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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