Putri Ulfa Kamalia, Yoyok Soesatyo, Tony Seno Aji, Susanti, Siti Sri Wulandari, Riza Yonisa Kurniawan
This study examines the influence of entrepreneurship education, self-efficacy, and environmental support on entrepreneurial interest among Generation Z, with motivation acting as a mediating variable. Despite the high potential of Generation Z in digital fluency and adaptability, their entrepreneurial engagement remains suboptimal. Addressing this gap, this research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the psychological and contextual factors shaping entrepreneurial interest in the Indonesian higher education context. A quantitative survey was conducted among 360 university students from five institutions who had completed entrepreneurship courses. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results demonstrate that entrepreneurship education, self-efficacy, and the environment significantly influence entrepreneurial interest, both directly and indirectly through motivation. Among these, self-efficacy emerged as the strongest predictor of entrepreneurial motivation and interest, while motivation was confirmed as a significant mediator across all pathways. The study highlights that interactive and experience-based entrepreneurship education, coupled with efforts to enhance students' confidence and access to a supportive environment, can effectively increase entrepreneurial motivation and interest. These findings offer practical implications for educators, policymakers, and institutions in fostering an entrepreneurial mindset among young generations, particularly in developing economies. The research contributes to the literature by integrating key psychological and environmental factors into a cohesive model that explains entrepreneurial interest in Generation Z. © 2026, IPMEDIA SDN BHD. All rights reserved.
Department of Economics Education, Faculty of Business and Economy, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, 60213, Indonesia; Department of Economics, Faculty of Business and Economy, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, 60213, Indonesia
