ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF MOTIVATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/aamr.2025.46Keywords:
Entrepreneurial Motivation, Student Entrepreneurial Success, Educational Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, Personal FactorsAbstract
Entrepreneurship education is vital for fostering a new generation of innovators and driving economic growth. Understanding the intricate factors that contribute to students' entrepreneurial success and the pivotal role of motivation is critical to effective higher education programming. This quantitative study utilized Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the influence of personal, educational, and socioeconomic factors on students' entrepreneurial success, and the mediating role of entrepreneurial motivation. Data were collected from 400 undergraduate management students at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi using a validated five-point Likert scale questionnaire. Results indicate educational factors exert the strongest direct influence on entrepreneurial success. Critically, entrepreneurial motivation acts as a significant mediator, fully explaining the effects of personal and socioeconomic factors and partially mediating the effects of educational influences. The model demonstrated strong explanatory power for entrepreneurial success (72.9%) and motivation (39.2%). These findings offer valuable insights for higher education institutions, highlighting the need for integrated educational ecosystems that enhance curriculum, foster intrinsic motivation, and cultivate supportive environments to develop successful entrepreneurs in Asia.
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