Learning strategies and entrepreneurial attitudes: A predictive model of entrepreneurship intention in Peruvian undergraduate students

Abstract

This study aims to empirically test how learning strategies would fit into an undergraduate entrepreneur’s profile. The design is cross-sectional with a sample of 527 Peruvian undergraduate students. A structural equation model was specified, estimated, and tested in Mplus 8.4. The model hypothesized direct effects of the different learning strategies on a factor of entrepreneurial attitudes (considering proactivity, professional ethics, empathy, innovation, autonomy, and risk-taking dimensions) which, in turn, explained two indicators of entrepreneurship intention as outcomes. The tested structural model adequately fits the data. It provided helpful information on learning strategies and entrepreneurial attitudes accounting for up to 20% of variance of entrepreneurship intention. The learning strategies most related to entrepreneurial attitudes are those related to creativity, transference, and assessment of one's own performance. This paper provides for the first time evidence about the predictive power of several learning strategies on the entrepreneurial attitudes in connection with entrepreneurship intention (willingness and likelihood). This work increases our understanding of entrepreneurs’ learning strategies, so that we can improve the design and implementation of educational resources to promote entrepreneurs’ careers in emerging markets.

Keywords

• Entrepreneurial attitudes
• learning strategies
• entrepreneurship intention
• entrepreneurship education
• university students
• Peru