Entrepreneurial intention among final year female tourism undergraduate students in Egypt: the moderating role of entrepreneurship education

Until now, women participation in entrepreneurial activity remains lower than expected all over the world. The severe lack of job opportunities faced by college graduates and the deteriorating unemployment situation is now a big problem in Egypt. Women involvement in entrepreneurial activities, especially those related to tourism businesses may reduce the level of unemployment and help develop the local economy. Thus, it is important to investigate the entrepreneurial factors that attract female university students to venture into businesses. In line with the above, the main objective of this study is to empirically examine the moderating effect of entrepreneurial education on the relationship between personal attitude towards entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, risk-taking propensity, family support, peer support and financial support with the entrepreneurial intention among final year female tourism undergraduate students in Egypt. In addition, the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) was chosen as the theoretical foundation of this study. The sample consists of 543 final year female tourism undergraduate students from eight public universities in Egypt, whereby the data were analyzed using partial least squares regression analysis technique (SmartPLS version 3.2.8 software). The findings of this research revealed that nine out of twelve hypotheses tested in the study were supported. Specifically, five factors namely Personal Attitude toward Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy, Risk-Taking Propensity, Family Support, Peer Support influence entrepreneurial intention, and four moderating effects were supported which is between PATE-EI; ESE-EI; RTP-EI and PS-EI. The outcome of this study has important implication towards the practice and also literature on women entrepreneurship, whereby it suggests that institutions of higher education should focus on transforming the students‘ attitude through formal entrepreneurship education programs and courses, in order to encourage more interest in entrepreneurial activity among female university students.