Explaining Entrepreneurial Intention through the Theory of Planned Behavior: Evidence from Indonesia's Wirausaha Merdeka Program

Abstract

Entrepreneurial intention has emerged as a fundamental consequence of entrepreneurship education, since it serves as the most significant predictor of future entrepreneurial action. Despite the growing implementation of experiential entrepreneurship education, empirical evidence on how entrepreneurial competence, entrepreneurial motivation, and environmental support jointly shape entrepreneurial intention remains limited, particularly within structured entrepreneurship programs. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study examines the effects of entrepreneurial competence, entrepreneurial motivation, and environmental support on entrepreneurial intention among students participating in the 2024 Wirausaha Merdeka Program at Universitas Amikom Yogyakarta. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted using purposive sampling, resulting in 115 valid responses. The data were evaluated by multiple linear regression after the verification of the validity, reliability, and classical assumptions of the regression model. The findings reveal that entrepreneurial motivation and environmental support exert positive and significant effects on entrepreneurial intention, whereas entrepreneurial competence does not have a statistically significant effect. The three factors together account for 45.1% of the variation in entrepreneurial ambition. The results indicate that entrepreneurial intention in experiential entrepreneurship education is more significantly impacted by motivational and contextual variables than by entrepreneurial ability alone. This study enhances the entrepreneurship education literature by expanding the Theory of Planned Behavior through the incorporation of entrepreneurial competence, motivation, and environmental support as indicators of perceived behavioral control, entrepreneurial attitude, and subjective norms, respectively. The results have practical implications for universities and politicians in developing entrepreneurship education programs that enhance students' entrepreneurial drive and cultivate supportive entrepreneurial environments.