The future of management education: The role of entrepreneurship education and junior enterprises

This study assesses the effect of entrepreneurship education and the participation in junior enterprises (JA) on the entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions of higher education students. A self-report instrument was answered by 139 management and economics students enrolled in Portuguese universities. The results show that students enrolled in JEs show higher levels of perceived behavioural control than students not involved in such extra-curricular activity. Additionally, students enrolled both in JEs and entrepreneurship education reported a higher entrepreneurial intention than those students that are only members of a JE. These findings suggest that deeper integration of extra-curricular activities and entrepreneurship education on management education curricula is crucial for the development of dynamic managerial capabilities. Moreover, it was observed that extra-curricular activities, like participating in a junior enterprise, complement rather than substitute entrepreneurship education. Several suggestions to make management education more impactful on students' managerial capabilities and skills are also provided.