The effect of socioeconomic crises on the relationship between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial intentions

Abstract This study examines whether the mechanisms underlying entrepreneurial intention formation remain stable under conditions of extreme socio-economic disruption. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), we analyze the relationships between entrepreneurial education, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and entrepreneurial intentions across two cohorts: pre-pandemic and during the Covid-19 pandemic. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and multi-group analysis (MGA), we assess both direct relationships and contextual differences. Results confirm the robustness of the TPB framework. Attitudes and perceived behavioral control emerge as consistent predictors of intentions, while subjective norms exhibit a weaker effect. Entrepreneurial education shows a nuanced pattern, functioning as a predictor of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control only during the Covid-19 period, albeit with modest effect sizes. Multi-group analysis reveals structural stability, with most relationships remaining invariant. However, statistically significant differences are identified in the paths between entrepreneurial education and perceived behavioral control, and between subjective norms and entrepreneurial intentions; the strength of both diminishes during the pandemic. In conclusion, entrepreneurial intention formation demonstrates structural resilience. Rather than altering the cognitive model, the pandemic generates selective, modest adjustments, particularly regarding the translation of educational inputs into perceived feasibility and the role of social influence. This study contributes to the literature by integrating intention-based theory with a crisis-context perspective, providing empirical evidence on the stability of entrepreneurial cognition under heightened uncertainty.