How does digital entrepreneurship education promote entrepreneurial intention? The role of social media and entrepreneurial intuition.

Research Bites: June 2024

How can social media be used to learn more about digital entrepreneurship?

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Digital entrepreneurship refers to the process of creating, managing and promoting a business using digital technology and platforms. It is becoming a key driver of economic growth in Southeast Asia due to technological advancements and increasing internet penetration. In 2023, the region’s digital economy generated $100 billion in revenue, with e-commerce, travel, transport, and media sectors accounting for $70 billion of that total (Google, Temasek, and Bain, 2023). Therefore, nurturing a new generation of digital entrepreneurs through digital entrepreneurship education is vital in equipping students with the skills needed to succeed in this evolving digital landscape.???

By surveying 270 university students across various higher education institutions, Wibowo et al. (2023) explored the relationship between digital entrepreneurship education and digital entrepreneurial intention among Indonesian students. The research found that digital entrepreneurship education positively impacts students’ interest in starting digital businesses as well as their social media usage. This research also confirms that social media is essential in mediating the relationship between digital entrepreneurship education and digital entrepreneurial intention. Social media enriches the learning experience by connecting students with peers and experts, fostering a more interactive and collaborative environment, and thereby positively influencing their intention to pursue digital entrepreneurship.?

Entrepreneurial intuition, or the ability to identify and assess opportunities through unconscious cognitive processes, also mediates the relationship between digital entrepreneurship education and digital entrepreneurial intention. As students learn more about digital entrepreneurship, their entrepreneurial intuition—how they perceive opportunities, make decisions, and assess risks—improves, further strengthening their desire to be digital entrepreneurs. In summary, incorporating social media and intuition-building strategies into digital entrepreneurship education can effectively enhance students' entrepreneurial intentions.?

Effective digital entrepreneurship education has the potential to significantly increase the likelihood of students pursuing and succeeding in digital business ventures. To build a future generation of digital entrepreneurs, youths with entrepreneurial ambitions must seek out education that prepares them for the challenges and opportunities of the digital landscape. Addressing this need, RYSE is developing RYSE Online—a free online course tailored to give youths essential digital entrepreneurship skills to empower young people to enter the digital business world and support the growing digital economy.??

Wibowo, A., Narmaditya, B. S., Sebayang, K. D. A., Mukhtar, S., & Shafiai, M. H. M. (2023). How does digital entrepreneurship education promote entrepreneurial intention? The role of social media and entrepreneurial intuition. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 8(1), 100681. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100681?