Dynamics of entrepreneurship education: how human and social capital interact with learning

Abstract

Drawing upon an extracurricular university course on entrepreneurship, this work explores the dynamics among human and social capital and four learning outcomes: entrepreneurial intentions, perceived behavioral control, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and startup activities. Following a longitudinal perspective, the study examined those dynamics in a sample of 66 students. Findings reveal that the influence of human capital decreased by the end of the course, yet played a fundamental role in improving intention and startup activities at the beginning of the course. A different pattern emerged for social capital (e.g., having friends who work as entrepreneurs), which maintained its relevance in enhancing perceived behavioral control, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and startup activities after the course. Such results support the equalizer function of entrepreneurship education with respect to human capital, as well as underscore the paramount role of peers in sustaining the development of an entrepreneurial mindset.