Examination of the Mediation Role of Entrepreneurial Traits between Entrepreneurship Education and Entrepreneurial Attitudes

Abstract

Nations and training institutions have adopted entrepreneurship education widely as a means for promoting entrepreneurial businesses which in return contribute to economies via; employment creation, payment of taxes, and innovation of goods and services. While the past few decades since 1980s witnessed a growing disregard of entrepreneurial traits in entrepreneurship education's impact assessment, few studies remain skeptical and call for mediation in predicting entrepreneurship using entrepreneurial traits. Intrigued with this contradiction, the current study examined the mediation role of entrepreneurial traits between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial attitudes.

A quasi experimental case study design was used in this study by adopting Mwakujonga and Sesabo (2012)'s sample of 60 finalist students who specialized in entrepreneurship, and marketing at Mzumbe University of Tanzania. Applying linear regression analysis with bootstrap and joint significance tests proposed by Judd et al., (2014), the study found a significant mediation role of entrepreneurial traits on effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial attitudes. Perhaps even unique to the body of knowledge, a partial complimentary typology of the entrepreneurial traits' mediation role is determined and its implications are discussed.