Parents’ occupation: a key factor in entrepreneurship education outcomes

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine entrepreneurship education effectiveness, taking into consideration parents’ occupation and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Design/methodology/approach This study uses a questionnaire-based approach and a pretest-posttest design. The survey involved 315 business administration students (based in Athens). Two groups were formed based on the parents’ occupation of the students (157 students whose parents are not entrepreneurs and 158 students who have at least one parent who is an entrepreneur). A paired sample t -test was performed to analyze the changes in the examined factors before and after education. MEMORE macro is used to reveal if the changes in entrepreneurial intention are caused by the changes in the factors of TPB. Findings After the entrepreneurship course, students whose parents lack an entrepreneurial background indicated a significant positive change in entrepreneurial intention and perceived behavioral control. In contrast, students who have at least one parent who is an entrepreneur indicated only a positive change in perceived behavioral control. These results suggest that entrepreneurial parents may already instill high entrepreneurial intentions in their children (Tsaknis and Sahinidis, 2020). Research limitations/implications The findings of this study are limited by the fact that they are based on the experiences of a specific group of students. Replicating the study across diverse university settings is necessary to enhance generalizability. Moreover, the sample consists solely of Greek students, which limits its applicability to populations of different ethnic backgrounds. Prior research indicates that entrepreneurial education may affect students from different cultures in varied ways. Additionally, demographic variables such as age, gender, and prior work experience were not analyzed, though they may influence entrepreneurial outcomes. Practical implications Factors influencing entrepreneurial intention include investments, mentorship, education, and policies. Entrepreneurship education should address the needs of all students, taking into account their diverse backgrounds and be tailored to their specific needs. The curriculum should include case studies, mentorships, and experiential learning to enhance perceived behavioral control and motivation. Originality/value The number of studies that take into account parents’ occupation when predicting entrepreneurial intentions or predicting the outcome of entrepreneurship education is sparse. As a novelty in this study, MEMORE macro is used to uncover new relationships between the examined variables, providing new insights into the role of family background in entrepreneurship education.