PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the difference in entrepreneurial intentions, perceived entrepreneurial motivation, and cognitive profiles (attitudes towards entrepreneurship, perceived behaviour control, and subjective norms) between individuals who have participated in enterprise education programmes in the universities and those who have not. The paper also investigates the mediating role of attitudes towards entrepreneurship, perceived behaviour control, and subjective norms related to entrepreneurial motivation and the forming of entrepreneurial intentions.Design/methodology/approachSurvey information from 321 students from three universities in the Ukraine was hand collected. Hierarchical multiple regressions were used to test hypotheses.FindingsIndividuals who participate in enterprise programmes tend to have higher entrepreneurial motivation and are more likely to become entrepreneurs. Empirical evidence shows that attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behaviour control mediate the relationship between perceived entrepreneurial motivation and entrepreneurial intentions.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based on data collected from three universities in one city. The implications for education managers related to the inclusion of enterprise courses into the study plans of engineering students are also discussed here.Practical implicationsThe findings have implications for the stimulation of student enterprise in transitional economies where attitudinal and resource (i.e. skill, competence and knowledge) deficiencies can retard enterprise. Entrepreneurial motivation is an important link between an intention and action. Enterprise education programs which stimulate entrepreneurial motivation should be offered to engineering students since many of them start ventures later. Engagement into enterprise development programs of engineering students might evoke earlier interest in self‐employment career path among young people.Originality/valueThe article contributes to the field of entrepreneurial motivation and intentions. The study extends insights from the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) (i.e. subjective norms, attitudes toward this behaviour, and perceived behavioural control) by also considering the perceived entrepreneurial motivation profiles of students.

Purpose -This paper aims to explore whether an integrated conceptual model (ICM) relating to factors drawn from entrepreneurial event theory (EET) (i.e. perceived desirability and perceived feasibility) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) (i.e. attitudes toward the behaviour, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control) explains more of the variance relating to the intention to become an entrepreneur than individual EET or TPB models. Design/methodology/approach -Survey information from 192 students from three universities in the Ukraine was hand collected. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses presented. Findings -Models relating to EET, the TPB and the ICM explained 40 per cent, 55 per cent and 60 per cent of the variance in the entrepreneurial intention dependent variable, respectively. Students reporting higher levels of perceived desirability, perceived feasibility, attitude toward the behaviour (i.e. enterprise) and perceived behavioural control were more likely to report the formation of entrepreneurial intentions. No significant negative interaction effect between perceived desirability and perceived feasibility was detected.Research limitations/implications -The study does not evaluate the benefits of enterprise modules. The results can be generalised to the Ukraine and comparable transition economy contexts. Practical implications -The formation of entrepreneurial intentions in more students could be increased if enterprise teaching seeks to nurture higher levels of attitude toward the behaviour (i.e. enterprise), and higher levels of perceived behavioural control. Originality/value -Structural equation modelling was used to test the predictive accuracy of EET, TPB and ICM perspectives. Direct and indirect effects between factors and the intention to become an entrepreneur were considered.

This article explores links between entrepreneurship education (EE) participation, alertness and risk-taking skills and the intensity of entrepreneurial intention relating to becoming an entrepreneur. Guided by insights from human capital and socially learned stereotypes theories, we conceptualize and test novel hypotheses that consider the potential moderating effect of gender and participation in EE. Business students participating in EE modules were compared with engineering students excluded from such programmes. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that EE students reported high intensity of intention; however, EE did not generate equal benefits for all students. Women were significantly less likely to report high intensity of intention; however, those citing the alertness skill were more likely to report high intensity of intention than non-EE women students. Both male EE and non-EE students citing the risk perception skill reported higher intention, whereas women EE students citing the risk perception skill reported lower intention.

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Purpose -This paper studies female entrepreneurship in two post-Soviet countries -Russia and Ukraine. Employing institutional theory, the research aims to investigate the entrepreneurial environment, particularly government support programmes and the availability of financial resources, with a focus on women entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach -This research is a qualitative investigation that comprises 60 interviews with Russian and Ukrainian entrepreneurs, bank officers and representatives of government organisations supporting the development of entrepreneurship. Findings -The investigation provides evidence that these countries have overcome the transition from a command to a market economy and local people are gradually adjusting to the new environment. Concentrating on macro/meso and money elements from the 5M model suggested by Brush et al., the authors suggest an additional construct -"motherland" -to embed a context in a new model. Research limitations/implications -Only two factors of Brush et al.'s 5M model were considered -i.e. macro/meso environment and money (availability of financial resources). Discussion of management, marketing and motherhood is beyond the scope of the present paper. Practical implications -The study reveals a broad range of managerial information and empirical data on the development of female entrepreneurship in contemporary Russia and Ukraine. The findings are helpful for policymakers engaged with these two countries. Originality/value -The study is an attempt to capture the context dependency of research on female entrepreneurs, and suggests a new dimension for inclusion in Brush et al.'s 5M model -"motherland".