Do theory-driven educational interventions influence social entrepreneurial intention? Evidence from a randomised controlled trial

Purpose This study examines whether a theory-driven educational intervention can increase social entrepreneurial intention (SEI). It also investigates whether the effects of such an intervention operate through specific antecedents and vary according to students' prior experience with social problems. Design/methodology/approach A randomised controlled trial was conducted with 140 final-year BBA students, assigned to either a social entrepreneurship workshop or a career development workshop, with the latter serving as the active control. SEI and four antecedents – empathy, moral obligation, social entrepreneurial self-efficacy and perceived social support were measured at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1) and follow-up (T2). Prior experience was assessed at baseline and analysed as a moderator. Data were analysed using ANCOVA and regression models. Findings SEI increased significantly in the treatment group at T1, and this effect persisted at T2, though with some attenuation. The antecedents responded unevenly. Perceived social support did not change. Prior experience moderated the intervention effect; students with greater baseline exposure benefited more. Changes in self-efficacy and empathy were associated with post-intervention SEI, though the design does not permit causal claims about these pathways. Originality/value Causal evidence from a randomised design is presented, which is mostly uncommon in this literature. The findings reveal that intervention effects on SEI are selective, operating through particular antecedents and shaped by what learners bring to the experience. This challenges blanket assumptions about experiential formats and advances a more differentiated understanding of how, and for whom, social entrepreneurship education works.