Unveiling the Role of Entrepreneurial Education in Preparing the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs in Malaysia

Entrepreneurship has been one of the major pillars in our economy around the world. Aside from the aspiring and innovative entrepreneurs looking for like-minded collaborators to start new ventures that disrupt the business world, managers are increasingly looking for entrepreneurial graduates to tackle the ever-changing business landscape. There has been increasing consensus that entrepreneurship is not limited to being an attitude or a certain characteristic that one is born with, but a skill that can be developed through education. This can be seen in the sprung of entrepreneurship programs in various educational institutions, as well as dedicated entrepreneurship degrees in higher education. However, the information that each person is receiving can vary depending on their environment, and how they perceive and process the information can also be different. In addition, propensity to take actions to pursue the identified opportunities can also vary. Thus, how can the governments and universities work together in breeding the next generation of entrepreneurs? To answer our research question, we sampled 191 undergraduate students in a private university in Malaysia. We examined the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, emotional intelligence, and entrepreneurial intention. Our findings contribute to future research with a more refined understanding of the factors affecting entrepreneurial intention, as well as practical implications for governments and higher education institutions on how they form an ecosystem in equipping future generations with entrepreneurialism.