Mediating Affect of COVID-19 Panic on Comprehensive Universities Students Entrepreneurial Behavior through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM): A Perspective of Higher Education

ABSTRACT

Purpose –Sudden occurrence of uncertainty because of COVID-19 pandemic altered the teaching and learning practices and leads to changes in entrepreneurial intentions among students that are going be become future entrepreneurs. Thus, rational behind present paper is to investigate student’s intentions about Entrepreneurship behavior in case of Bule Hora University, Ethiopia students with mediating role of COVID-19 panic. Design/ approach/methodology – Primary data about student entrepreneurs’ learning experiences during the COVID-19 was through survey questionnaire from 350 respondents. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to check uni-dimensionality, validity of construct and model reliability. SEM with help of STATA-14 software employed to measure the mediating role of covid-19 panic on comprehensive university student’s entrepreneurial behavioral intentions. Findings – Outcomes of the study show that covid-19 panic has the mediating and indirect effect on comprehensive university student’s entrepreneurial behavior intentions. Practical implications – Study results have indications for educational policymakers and practitioners to adjust the distorted entrepreneurship learning environment which is based on face to face practical incubation based learning, during the COVID-19 panic. Originality/value –The research add value in literature on education by unique contribution by investigate the COVID-19 panic affect on incident of learning in comprehensive university students of Ethiopia. The findings of present research will help in expanding the policy maker’s insights about nurturing of entrepreneurship spirit among students to cope with the poverty and unemployment situation during post COVID-19 period. © 2021 Academia Peruana de la Lengua.