How entrepreneurship program characteristics foster students' study engagement and entrepreneurial career intentions: A longitudinal study

Applying the job demands-resources and regulatory focus theory to the educational context, this study investigated how entrepreneurship program characteristics foster students' study engagement and entrepreneurial career intentions. Longitudinal data were collected among 154 Dutch students, who completed a questionnaire before, halfway, and at the end of an entrepreneurship program. Results showed that program resources (teacher-student and student-student relationships) positively related to study engagement, which subsequently, increased entrepreneurial career intentions. Challenge demands (a challenging learning environment) did not relate to study engagement over and above program resources. Promotion focus related to high and prevention focus related to low study engagement. We expected that promotion focus would boost and prevention focus would attenuate the positive impact of program characteristics. Results however showed that both a promotion and a prevention focus boost the impact of student-student relationships on study engagement. Prevention focus attenuated the impact of teacher-student relationships on study engagement. The findings can be used to improve entrepreneurship programs and educational pedagogy.