The role of entrepreneurial education and support in business growth intentions: the case of Canadian entrepreneurs

Abstract

We investigate the role of academic and non-academic entrepreneurship education programs on entrepreneurs’ growth intentions by employing attributes perceived by entrepreneurs as valuable in their education. Entrepreneur status (nascent/wanna-preneurs versus experienced entrepreneurs) is then explored to decipher its influence on these relationships. We analyzed a sample of 2609 Canadian adults who were active or non-active (wanna-preneurs) in entrepreneurship activity. The results confirmed the significant impact of the ‘traditional’ essence of academic (e.g. knowledge) and non-academic (e.g. funding) programs on growth intentions. They further proved the relevance of academic programs to experienced entrepreneurs and of non-academic programs to nascent/wanna-preneurs intentions toward growing their business. Implications of these results for higher education and programs for entrepreneurs, as well as for policy-makers, are discussed.