Fostering entrepreneurial thinking: the role of enterprise education in Sport Business Management programmes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7190/jostle.v1i1.623Keywords:
enterprise, higher education, outcomes, employability, mindsetAbstract
This research examines how enterprise education within sport business management degree programmes fosters entrepreneurial thinking and contributes to students’ personal, academic and professional development, responding to wider economic shifts such as the post‑pandemic changes in small business creation (Department for Business and Trade, 2024) and the expansion of virtual technologies that have enabled new forms of innovation (De Mauro et al., 2018; Makridis & Liao, 2023). Situated within a global sports market projected to exceed $600 billion by 2027 (The Business Research Group, 2023), the research draws on enterprise education frameworks emphasising the development of creative, opportunity‑focused mindsets (QAA, 2018) and literature linking entrepreneurship to community and regional development (Malecki, 2018; Anubhav et al., 2024). It also builds on evidence that structured enterprise learning can enhance enterprising characteristics (Athayde, 2012; Kozlinska et al., 2023; Yasin & Khansari, 2021), while addressing gaps concerning its specific impact on sport business management students. Using a mixed‑methods design combining cross‑sectional and longitudinal elements, the study collects both quantitative and qualitative data from past and current higher education students at multiple points in their enterprise learning journey. Although data collection is ongoing, the project aims to generate a deeper understanding of how enterprise education shapes entrepreneurial mindset formation in sport business contexts, offering insights to inform curriculum design and guide policymakers seeking to strengthen employability outcomes and support future innovation within the sport industry.
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