University Incubator Support and Entrepreneurial Intention among Tourism Graduates: Mediating Role of Personal Attitude

Tamer Ayad, Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih () and Ibrahim A. Elshaer ()
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Tamer Ayad: The Saudi Investment Bank Scholarly Chair for Investment Awareness Studies, The Deanship of Scientific Research, The Vice Presidency for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih: The Saudi Investment Bank Scholarly Chair for Investment Awareness Studies, The Deanship of Scientific Research, The Vice Presidency for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Ibrahim A. Elshaer: The Saudi Investment Bank Scholarly Chair for Investment Awareness Studies, The Deanship of Scientific Research, The Vice Presidency for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 23, 1-18

Abstract: The Saudi Arabian government has promoted the tourism industry as a way to achieve the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 by diversifying the economy and reducing overdependence on the oil sector. To align with this, several universities in Saudi Arabia have started providing tourism education. Accordingly, several academic programs and university incubators were launched to prepare workers and entrepreneurs for the industry. This study examines the role of support given by university incubators—embedded in networking support, financial support, and training support—in enhancing entrepreneurship intention among tourism graduates. Furthermore, the study examines the mediating role of personal attitude in the aforementioned relationship. Data were collected from a sample of 750 senior students at tourism and hospitality management colleges in Saudi Arabian public universities. All of the research participants have had access to these incubators. Using structural equation modeling, the study shows that the personal attitude of graduates partially mediates the impact of networking support as a dimension of university incubator support and entrepreneurship intention. However, the personal attitude of graduates was found to fully mediate the relationships between financial and training support and entrepreneurship. Future research implications and limitations are elaborated.

Keywords: university incubators support; entrepreneurial intention; tourism entrepreneurship; personal attitude; Saudi Vision 2030 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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