A SOCIAL COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE ON DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP INTENTION: THE INFLUENCE OF SELF-EFFICACY AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Abstract
Main Objectives: This study aims to examine the influence of digital entrepreneurship education on digital entrepreneurship intention among university students by investigating the mediating role of entrepreneurship self-efficacy based on Social Cognitive Theory. The study highlights the importance of understanding psychological mechanisms that transform digital entrepreneurship learning experiences into entrepreneurial intentions. Research Methods: A quantitative explanatory research design was employed involving hundred university students in Indonesia. Data were collected through an online questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. The analysis included validity, reliability, structural model, hypothesis testing, and mediation analysis. Novelty: Previous studies have extensively investigated the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention; however, limited attention has been given to the specific context of digital entrepreneurship intention and the psychological mechanism underlying this relationship. This study contributes to the literature by integrating Social Cognitive Theory to explain how digital entrepreneurship education influences students’ digital entrepreneurship intention through the development of entrepreneurship self-efficacy. Results: The findings show that digital entrepreneurship education positively affects entrepreneurship self-efficacy and digital entrepreneurship intention. Entrepreneurship self-efficacy also positively influences digital entrepreneurship intention and significantly mediates the relationship between digital entrepreneurship education and intention. Conclusion: The study confirms that entrepreneurship self-efficacy is a critical cognitive mechanism linking digital entrepreneurship education with students’ intention to engage in digital entrepreneurship. The findings provide implications for higher education institutions in developing digital entrepreneurship programs that strengthen both competencies and confidence.