Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: How Academic Discipline Moderates Entrepreneurship Education Effectiveness

Abstract

Entrepreneurship education has expanded beyond business schools, yet programs do not operate uniformly across disciplines. Grounded in Shapero and Sokol's (1982) Entrepreneurial Event Model, this study examined whether an interdisciplinary program produced differential effects on entrepreneurial attitudes, intentions, and reflection based on students' college affiliation. Using a quasi-experimental, repeated-measures design, 104 participants (post-survey N = 92) across seven colleges completed a consulting-based entrepreneurship program over the course of 8 semesters. Pre- and post-surveys measured Entrepreneurial Attitudinal Orientation (Achievement, Self-Esteem, Personal Control, Innovation), Entrepreneurial Intention, and Reflection. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and multivariate regression provided complementary analyses. Results revealed no overall program effect, but a significant interaction between participation and college affiliation. Business and Engineering students showed significantly higher gains in Achievement, Personal Control, and Reflection compared to Education, Arts & Sciences, and Fine Arts students. The presence of a program manager showed no effect. The divergence between MANOVA detecting subscale-level effects and regression showing no composite-level effects suggests college affiliation influences specific entrepreneurial attitude dimensions differently. Findings demonstrate that students with training emphasizing problem-solving, innovation, and applied business concepts benefit most. Entrepreneurship programs should incorporate discipline-specific scaffolding that leverages existing knowledge while addressing field-specific barriers to entrepreneurial self-efficacy.