Entrepreneurial Intervention Among Undergraduates: Do Entrepreneurship Education and Environmental Conditioning Count?

Nada T. Uranta; Sunday A, Atunwa; Emmanuel E. Uye

doi:10.59890/ijfbm.v4i2.216

Authors

Nada T. Uranta Rivers State University
Sunday A, Atunwa Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic
Emmanuel E. Uye University of Ibadan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59890/ijfbm.v4i2.216

Keywords:

Entrepreneurship Education, Environmental Conditioning, Entrepreneurial Intervention, Undergraduates

Abstract

Graduate unemployment is an issue that affects individuals, families, government and other stakeholders with little solution in sight. While the Nigerian government has introduced entrepreneurship education in all tertiary institutions, research on predictors of entrepreneurial interventions has produced varied results. Therefore, this study examines the predictive roles of entrepreneurship education and environmental conditioning on entrepreneurial intervention among undergraduates in selected universities in Rivers State. Cross-sectional survey design was adopted while purposive sampling technique was used to select four tertiary institutions in Rivers State. Data were conveniently collected from 230 participants using validated questionnaires and analyzed using multiple regression and independent samples t-test to test two hypotheses which were accepted at p <.001 level of significance. The result reveals that environmental studies and environmental conditioning jointly predicted entrepreneurial intervention among study participants, R² =. 477, F (2, 227) = 54.25, p < 0.001. Furthermore, the results indicate that entrepreneurship education (β =.438, t = 4.84, p <.001) and environmental conditioning (β = .401, t = 4.54, p < .001) independently predicted entrepreneurial intervention among study participants. The study concludes that entrepreneurship education and environmental conditioning are robust predictors of entrepreneurial intervention among study participants. The study recommends that the university and the government agencies should make entrepreneurship education more meaningful and practical oriented to motivate undergraduates to seek self-employment after graduation.

References

Acs, Z. J., Autio, E., & Szerb, L. (2018). National systems of entrepreneurship: Measurement issues and policy implications. Research Policy, 47(1), 9–20.

Adebayo, M., & Adeoye, A. (2018). Impact of entrepreneurship education on students' entrepreneurial interventions. Journal of Small Business Management, 56(3), 45-67.

Adenle, Y. O., Bakare, T. A., & Okafor, C. L. (2020). Environmental factors influencing entrepreneurial success in Nigerian universities. African Journal of Business Education, 12(2), 112-135.

Akanbi, S. T. (2013). Entrepreneurial attitudes and entrepreneurial interventions of students in a Nigerian university. Journal of Business & Management, 8(2), 1–5.

Akinbami, C. A., & Adejumo, G. O. (2018). Effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intervention among Nigerian university students. Journal of Research in Business and Management, 6(5), 17–22.

Aliu, S., & Ismail, M. (2021). The mediating role of entrepreneurship education in the relationship between entrepreneurial attitude and entrepreneurial intervention. Journal of Entrepreneurship Education, 24(2), 1–12.

Amoke, C. V., Eze, P. N., & Ibrahim, A. D. (2020). Gender disparities in entrepreneurial participation among Nigerian undergraduates. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 14(1), 89-114.

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman.

Bischoff, K., Volkmann, C., & Audretsch, D. (2018). Stakeholder collaboration in entrepreneurship education: An analysis of the entrepreneurial ecosystems of European higher educational institutions. Journal of Technology Transfer, 43(1), 20–46.

Brush, C. G., Greene, P. G., & Welter, F. (2018). The role of university ecosystems in fostering entrepreneurship. Academy of Management Perspectives, 32(3), 326-342.

Chigbu, E. E., & Nwachukwu, A. (2020). Environmental determinants of entrepreneurial intervention among Nigerian students. African Journal of Business Management, 14(3), 78–88.

Ehondor, E. G., Taylor, O., & Uye, E.E. (2024). Personality traits and social support as predictors of entrepreneurship preferences among students in higher institution in Ibadan, Oyo State. Covenant Journal of Entrepreneurship, 8(1), 25-34.

Ezeh, P. N., Okafor, B. G., & Adeleke, R. F. (2019). Entrepreneurship education and student startup interventions. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 24(4), 1950023.

Fatoki, O. (2014). The entrepreneurial intention of undergraduate students in South Africa: The influences of entrepreneurship education and previous work experience. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(7), 294-299 https://doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n7p294

Fayolle, A., & Gailly, B. (2015). The impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial attitudes and intervention: Hysteresis and persistence. Journal of Small Business Management, 53(1), 75–93. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsbm.12065

Koe, W. L., Sa’ari, J. R., Majid, I. A., & Ismail, K. (2012). Determinants of entrepreneurial intention among millennial generation. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 40, 197-208.

Liñán, F., & Chen, Y. W. (2009). Development and cross-cultural application of a specific instrument to measure entrepreneurial interventions. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 33(3), 593–617.

Mohammed, K. T., Olanrewaju, S. O., & Yusuf, A. M. (2021). Policy gaps in university entrepreneurship programs. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, 13(2), 205-224.

Muhammad, N., Akbar, S., & Dalziel, N. (2011). Students’ entrepreneurial interventions: Does gender difference matter in Pakistan? Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences, 5(1), 1–26.

Nwachukwu, C. E., Eze, P. N., & Okafor, B. G. (2022). Women’s entrepreneurship development in Nigerian universities. Gender in Management, 37(1), 45-62.

Olokundun, M., Falola, H., Ibidunni, S., & Inelo, F. (2017). Effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial interventions among Nigerian university students. The Journal of Entrepreneurship Education, 20(2), 1–12.

Osuagwu, L., & Eresia-Eke, C. (2022). Cultural values and youth entrepreneurial intervention: A Nigerian perspective. Small Business International Review, 6(2), e509.

Roberts, E.R., Obisesan, F.O., Uranta, N. T., Uye, E. E. (2026). Predictability of entrepreneurship studies and environmental conditioning on attitude towards entrepreneurial intention among university students. Business & Economic Journal, 4(1), 18-33 https://doi.org/10.32764/bep.v4i1.1708

Roberts, E. R., Uye, E. E., Stephen, G., & Olapegba, P.O. (2023). Role model and self-efficacy as predictors of entrepreneurial intention among university undergraduates. Covenant Journal of Entrepreneurship, 7(1), 1-15.

Stam, E. (2015). Entrepreneurial ecosystems and regional policy. European Planning Studies, 23 (9), 1759-1769. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2015.1061484

Udu, A. A., & Udu, G. O. C. (2015). Entrepreneurship development and employment generation in Nigeria: Problems and prospects. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management, 3(1), 1–11.

Urban, B., & Kujinga, L. (2017). The institutional environment and social entrepreneurship interventions. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 23(4), 638–655.

Yusuf, A. M., Mohammed, K. T., & Adeleke, R. F. (2021). Entrepreneurship policy implementation in Nigerian universities. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Africa, 3(1), 45-63.