Enhancing entrepreneurial intention through curriculum, risk awareness, optimism and opportunities: the mediating and moderating roles of entrepreneur inspiration and support

Entrepreneurship plays an important role in driving a nation's economic growth to impact the global economy. The presence and rise of business entities, primarily through digital platforms, have helped maintain Indonesia’s general business circulation and lowered youth unemployment. Efforts to realise this condition begin when students take their studies seriously. However, the level of graduate unemployment is currently high, with the intensity of entrepreneurial intentions being low. This study aims to explore students' entrepreneurial intentions based on the present curriculum, risk awareness, optimism and opportunities mediated and moderated by inspiration and support, respectively. Compared to other papers with similar research, the uniqueness of this paper is that it addresses the moderating and mediating roles of inspiration and support in the correlation of several variables to youth entrepreneurial intention. This study involves 306 students spread throughout Indonesia. The data were collected using a questionnaire and indicators derived from existing measurement instruments. The data analysis, involving mediation and moderation analysis of direct and indirect relationships, was done using the structural equation model-partial least square (SEM-PLS). The results reveal that educational support and inspiration have a direct positive and significant relationship with opportunities for entrepreneurial intention. Further, educational support, relational support and structural support have a positive and significant impact on entrepreneurial intention through the mediation role of opportunities. Student intention in starting a business is closely related to various factors or variables that are mutually sustainable.