Abstract:
Globally, both scholars and policy-makers concur that entrepreneurship is instrumental
for new venture formation, economic growth and technological progress. Theoretically,
there is a general inclination that entrepreneurship education automatically yields
entrepreneurial intention. However, few empirical studies examining the direct influence
of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intention have yielded inconsistent
results. Though personality traits and attitudes are critical factors in determining
entrepreneurial intention, their effect on the relationship between entrepreneurship
education and entrepreneurial intention has received inadequate attention. With the high
rate of unemployment in Kenya, self-employment and small enterprise initiatives are
presently high on the county’s national development agenda with the hope that the
entrepreneurial initiatives will provide alternative channels of employment. The purpose
of this study was to examine the effect of personality traits and attitude on the
relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention of students
in Technical, Vocational Education, and Training institutions in Kenya. Specifically, the
study sought to: determine the effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial
intention, determine the influence of personality traits on the relationship between
entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention, examine the influence of
attitude on the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial
intention, and determine the joint effect of entrepreneurship education, personality traits,
and attitude on entrepreneurial intention. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey
design. Data was collected from a sample of 265 third year students drawn from a
population of 855 engineering students. Data was analyzed with the aid of Statistical
Package for Social Sciences, (SPSS). Profiles of students and study variables were
described by use of means and standard deviation. The hypotheses were tested by simple,
hierarchical, and multiple regression analyses. The results showed a positive correlation
between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention. Further, the results
revealed that personality traits moderated the relationship between entrepreneurship
education and entrepreneurial intention; while attitude partially mediated the relationship.
The combined effect of entrepreneurship education, personality traits and attitude was
higher on entrepreneurial intention. The study contributed to entrepreneurship education
theory and management policy and practice by arguing that the effect of entrepreneurship
education on entrepreneurial intention is contingent on interaction of personality traits
and attitudes. The understanding of the contingency perspective of the relationship
between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention would inform an
effective entrepreneurship education curriculum. Finally, the study recommends a
longitudinal study to explore the cause of low variation in entrepreneurial intention
explained by entrepreneurship education. Future tracer studies should be conducted on
the link between nascent entrepreneurial intention and actual implementation of
intentions. This would fill the gap between intention and actual behavior in relation to
venture formation.