Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Department

School of Business

First Advisor

Dr. Debby Thomas

Second Advisor

Dr. Tim Veach

Third Advisor

Dr. Michelle Sullivan

Abstract

A profound symbiotic relationship exists between innovation and entrepreneurship; entrepreneurs have changed the world through dynamic innovations and inventions that drive economic success. Two factors central to this development are entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE), or confidence in one’s entrepreneurial abilities, and entrepreneurial mindset (EM), the thinking and attitudes that support entrepreneurial action. Both are linked to entrepreneurial success. Invention Education (IvE) is a pedagogical approach that enables students to develop creative solutions to complex problems. IvE remains more common in K-12 settings, with a limited presence in postsecondary institutions. Rio Hondo College, a community college in Whittier, California, has been developing an innovation and entrepreneurial curriculum for students utilizing short invention-based workshops called invention sprints to motivate students to engage in innovative work and potentially pursue entrepreneurial pathways. The purpose of this study was to examine whether participation in IvE workshops was associated with changes in entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) and entrepreneurial mindset (EM) in students at Rio Hondo College. This study used a quantitative, quasi-experimental, one-group pretest-posttest design with a final matched sample of 68 students. Participants completed the combined entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial mindset survey before and after participating in invention workshops. Results indicated that students reported higher EM scores following participation, suggesting that invention education workshops were associated with improved entrepreneurial mindset. Although ESE scores showed limited change, further research is needed to clarify their impact on confidence-based outcomes in community college populations.

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