Female University Students' Attitudes Towards Social Entrepreneurship: An Applied Study at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah

TEXT

This study examined female university students’ attitudes toward social entrepreneurship and proposed ways to strengthen their positive attitudes. This descriptive study employed a sample-based social survey, administering a measurement scale to 372 female students at Umm Al-Qura University. Overall attitudes were high, with a mean of 4.06 out of 5. The affective component ranked first at a very high level (4.29), followed by the behavioral (3.97) and cognitive (3.91) components, both at high levels. Findings highlighted students’ belief in collective responsibility for community development and social entrepre-neurship’s role in providing innovative, sustainable solutions to social problems and alleviating unemployment. However, gaps emerged in practical knowledge of support and funding requirements and launching social enterprises. Students expressed positive feelings toward creativity, autonomy, and community service, and interest in pursuing social entrepreneurship within their disciplines. Behavioral findings highlighted seizing opportunities and building professional relationships, alongside readi-ness to manage teams, identify problems, assess risks, and plan ventures; actual participation in social initiatives was compara-tively lower. Accordingly, the study proposes applied courses and training to develop entrepreneurial knowledge and skills, a digital platform presenting support and funding opportunities, and meetings with social entrepreneurs. Proposals include rec-ognizing student initiatives, linking university projects to community problems, facilitating partnerships for field training, and establishing an alumnae network for mentoring and knowledge exchange, supporting positive attitudes’ translation into entre-preneurial practices with social impact.