Exploring the linkage between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial intentions among university students in Morocco

Abstract

The Moroccan labor market continues to struggle with the incorporation of its university graduates and the interest in entrepreneurship as an employment option is growing. Higher education institutions are an essential part of developing students' entrepreneurial competencies and intentions. This research investigates the effects of entrepreneurship education on students' entrepreneurial intention as based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. The research also investigates how attitudes toward entrepreneurship, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, creativity, proactive behavior, and family background influence entrepreneurial intention. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 226 students at the Faculty of Economics and Management at Beni Mellal, Morocco, and the data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that entrepreneurship education is positively related to entrepreneurial intention both directly as well as indirectly through attitudes toward entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control; also, creativity and family background were found to positively influence entrepreneurial intention. In contrast, subjective norms and proactive behavior do not show a significant effect in this context. These findings highlight the importance of entrepreneurial education in strengthening students’ entrepreneurial orientation while suggesting that social influences and individual proactivity may operate differently within the Moroccan context. The study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence from a developing country context and offers implications for policymakers and educators seeking to enhance entrepreneurship education programs.