From entrepreneurship education to action : the central role of pro-autonomy entrepreneurial opportunity recognition and the supporting role of Bricolage

english

2026

volume 17, issue 1

entrepreneurial action   entrepreneurial bricolage   entrepreneurship education   knowledge integration   pro-autonomy entrepreneurial opportunity recognition

GEA College
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

The persistent gap between entrepreneurial intention and action remains a central challenge in entrepreneurship research. This study examines how entrepreneurship education (EE) is translated into entrepreneurial action (EA) by introducing pro-autonomy entrepreneurial opportunity recognition (PEOR) as a missing cognitive mechanism and entrepreneurial bricolage (EB) as its behavioral complement. Drawing on Social Cognitive Theory and the Resource-Based View, we propose a dual-pathway model in which EE fosters autonomous opportunity recognition, while knowledge integration capability (KIC) enhances resource-improvisational behaviors. The data in this study was from 170 alumni of the Wirausaha Merdeka program. We employed structural equation modelling to test the proposed model. We found that PEOR is the strongest predictor of EA, indicating that action emerges when opportunities are internalized meaningfully and when the action is aligned with one's capability base. EB provides an additional, resource-based pathway that translates knowledge integration into concrete entrepreneurial steps. These findings complement prior studies by positioning PEOR as an unaddressed mechanism, explaining how education initiates action, while at the same time offering practical guidance for designing autonomy-supportive, experimentation-oriented entrepreneurial curricula in the context of developing-countries.

02.07.2026