Influence of entrepreneurship ecosystems on entrepreneurial self-efficacy of engineering graduates: A case study of NUST in Oman

ABSTRACT

This study examines the impact of the entrepreneurship ecosystem at the College of Engineering (CoE), National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Oman on the entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) of engineering graduates. Data was collected from 198 third and fourth-year engineering students at CoE NUST and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results demonstrate that engineering entrepreneurship teaching-learning approaches and opportunity identification strategies significantly enhance entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and the university’s entrepreneurship support and initiatives moderately enhance students’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy. The findings emphasize the critical role of experiential learning and design-thinking strategies in developing students’ entrepreneurial capabilities. The study extends Isenberg’s entrepreneurship ecosystem model to the context of higher education, offering valuable insights for universities and policymakers seeking to cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets among engineering graduates. These findings provide a framework for cultivating entrepreneurial ecosystems within universities. Future research should expand the scope to other disciplines and contexts, exploring the long-term effects of entrepreneurial ecosystems on graduates’ success.

KEYWORDS: Entrepreneurship ecosystem, self-efficacy, university, engineering, graduates, Oman

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