Bridging the Intention-Behavior Gap in Entrepreneurship Education: A Systematic Review of Theoretical Mechanisms and Venture Outcomes in German Higher Education

Bridging the Intention-Behavior Gap in Entrepreneurship Education: A Systematic Review of Theoretical Mechanisms and Venture Outcomes in Higher Education | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Systematic Review Bridging the Intention-Behavior Gap in Entrepreneurship Education: A Systematic Review of Theoretical Mechanisms and Venture Outcomes in Higher Education Andreas Mitschke This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9348747/v2 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 2 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Abstract University-based entrepreneurship education reliably raises entrepreneurial intentions but fails to convert them into ventures. The mechanisms linking education to venture creation remain poorly understood, and this review argues the gap is theoretically predictable. Using the German university system as an evidential case, this systematic review examines EE effects on proximal outcomes (knowledge, self-efficacy, attitudes, and intentions) and their downstream translation into startup formation and venture outcomes. Five electronic databases were searched covering 1990-2025. German and international evidence indicates EE produces moderate positive effects on proximal outcomes (Cohen's d = 0.335 for self-efficacy; d = 0.207 for intentions), with significant heterogeneity moderated by program design, student demographics, and institutional factors. A critical intention-behavior gap persists: only 3.7% of university-level startup ideas progress to development, versus 85.5% founding rates among EXIST grant recipients. EXIST participation more than doubles startup formation likelihood (OR 4.8+), with 80% five-year survival rates and an average of 13 employees per venture. Babson College's mandatory FME program confirms that experiential curriculum design operationalizes implementation intention formation structurally, explaining why it systematically outperforms lecture-based instruction on behavioral outcomes independently of financial support. Without this design gender disparities are severe: women constitute 49% of students but only 18% of EXIST recipients. These patterns collectively identify the intention-to-behavior stage as the binding constraint and implementation intention theory, operationalized through experiential program design and ecosystem support, as the theoretically precise mechanism for closing it. JEL Classification: I23, L26, I21, M13, J24 Entrepreneurship Educational Philosophy and Theory entrepreneurship education EXIST Program intention-behavior gap entrepreneurial self-efficacy venture creation Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Supplementary Files OnlineResource.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 2 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9348747","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Systematic Review","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":620096350,"identity":"556b6877-4c8d-407f-94d1-ce4b3d7202cf","order_by":0,"name":"Andreas Mitschke","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABB0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYHACAzDJBsTMDAcY5IA04wEGhgQitLBBtBhDKGK0MEC1JDYQ0sI/u3nbhw81ddF88u0PPxecsUnvl8g/cOBDRRoDf3s3Vn0Sd44Vz5xx7HBuGxuPsfSMG2m5M2ckMxyccSaHQeLM2Q1YrbmRY8zMw3YApIWNmefD4dwNN5IZDvO2VTAYSORi1SIP0vLnXx1QC/szoJb/6QaEtBiAtDC2MQO1MJgx89w4kADVkoNTi+GNtGLG3j6QX3KMpXnOJBvO7HlsAPRLGg8uv8jdSN7M8ONbXe785uMPP/Mcs5PnZ098+OBDRbIcf3svdu/jBDykKR8Fo2AUjIJRgAwAUWVlbUgDNFQAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Andreas","middleName":"","lastName":"Mitschke","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-04-07 18:55:29","currentVersionCode":2,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9348747/v2","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9348747/v2","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":107869900,"identity":"7806c047-527f-499b-aca9-b88ca01c7fcb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-27 07:38:25","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":503996,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"BridgingtheIntentionBehaviorGapinEntrepreneurshipEducationASystematicReviewofTheoreticalMechanismsandVentureOutcomesinHigherEducation.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9348747/v2_covered_d12f5509-7bcb-40dd-8149-70c121d01aef.pdf"},{"id":107751000,"identity":"f9852889-0e48-4cf6-bc46-ac9c6fe002b2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-24 17:17:03","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":36660,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineResource.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9348747/v2/f9d9a0b9a3bb2bb6680f14c6.docx"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eBridging the Intention-Behavior Gap in Entrepreneurship Education: A Systematic Review of Theoretical Mechanisms and Venture Outcomes in Higher Education\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":true,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"entrepreneurship education, EXIST Program, intention-behavior gap, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, venture creation","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9348747/v2","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9348747/v2","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eUniversity-based entrepreneurship education reliably raises entrepreneurial intentions but fails to \u0026nbsp;convert them into ventures. The mechanisms linking education to venture creation remain poorly \u0026nbsp;understood, and this review argues the gap is theoretically predictable. Using the German \u0026nbsp;university system as an evidential case, this systematic review examines EE effects on proximal \u0026nbsp;outcomes (knowledge, self-efficacy, attitudes, and intentions) and their downstream translation \u0026nbsp;into startup formation and venture outcomes. Five electronic databases were searched covering \u0026nbsp;1990-2025. German and international evidence indicates EE produces moderate positive effects \u0026nbsp;on proximal outcomes (Cohen's d = 0.335 for self-efficacy; d = 0.207 for intentions), with \u0026nbsp;significant heterogeneity moderated by program design, student demographics, and institutional \u0026nbsp;factors. A critical intention-behavior gap persists: only 3.7% of university-level startup ideas \u0026nbsp;progress to development, versus 85.5% founding rates among EXIST grant recipients. EXIST \u0026nbsp;participation more than doubles startup formation likelihood (OR 4.8+), with 80% five-year \u0026nbsp;survival rates and an average of 13 employees per venture. Babson College's mandatory FME \u0026nbsp;program confirms that experiential curriculum design operationalizes implementation intention \u0026nbsp;formation structurally, explaining why it systematically outperforms lecture-based instruction on \u0026nbsp;behavioral outcomes independently of financial support. Without this design gender disparities \u0026nbsp;are severe: women constitute 49% of students but only 18% of EXIST recipients. These patterns \u0026nbsp;collectively identify the intention-to-behavior stage as the binding constraint and implementation \u0026nbsp;intention theory, operationalized through experiential program design and ecosystem support, as \u0026nbsp;the theoretically precise mechanism for closing it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJEL Classification:\u003c/strong\u003e I23, L26, I21, M13, J24\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Bridging the Intention-Behavior Gap in Entrepreneurship Education: A Systematic Review of Theoretical Mechanisms and Venture Outcomes in Higher Education","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":2,"date":"2026-04-24 17:17:00","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9348747/v2","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}},{"code":1,"date":"2026-04-09 07:09:56","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9348747/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"4162ed42-d61a-46b3-84dd-a11c786446f1","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 24th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":66887099,"name":"Entrepreneurship"},{"id":66887100,"name":"Educational Philosophy and Theory"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-22T03:11:49+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-04-24 17:17:00","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v2","identity":"rs-9348747","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9348747","identity":"rs-9348747","version":["v2"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}