Investigating the Relationship between University Environment and Female Student’s Entrepreneurial Thinking in Algeria: Institutional Theory Perspective

Abstract

Female entrepreneurship is a growing segment which has the potential to promote economic growth and job creation in specific regions and countries. In particular, there is no consensus on the most effective way to foster female entrepreneurship. Universities are well-known actors where female students' entrepreneurial thinking can be developed. Moreover, the educational policies related to supporting students’ entrepreneurial activities differ significantly among institutions and environments. Based on the lens of institutional theory, the aim of this study is to analyze the influences of the university environment on the development of entrepreneurial thinking among Algerian female university students. A self-administered survey was used in this study to gather data from 413 female students enrolled in three different Algerian universities. Using Smart-PLS software, the outcomes assert that the normative and cognitive dimensions significantly influence entrepreneurial thinking among female business students in Algerian universities. Such a finding contradicts past research on the impact of the regulative dimension and brings fresh insights into the role of the support of Algerian higher education institutions in fostering the entrepreneurial thinking of their female business students.