How multiple social supports enhance leadership skills among university students in food innovation and entrepreneurship programs

Dados Bibliográficos

ID21295597
AutoresJing Wang (0000-0002-7594-8539, Universiti Sains Malaysia School of Educational Studies, , Pulau Pinang), Aziah Ismail (0000-0002-9704-8873, Universiti Sains Malaysia School of Educational Studies, , Pulau Pinang), A Akla Wan Ismail (Universiti Sains Malaysia)
Ano2026
Volume128
Fascículo7
Páginas2718-2731
Data de publicação2026-06-26
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoBritish Food Journal (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0007-070X • E-ISSN: 1758-4108
EditoraEmerald (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1108/bfj-04-2025-0505
OpenAlexW7128741253
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas25

Purpose This paper investigates how distinct forms of social support facilitate the development and utilization of leadership skills among university students engaged in food-focused innovation and entrepreneurship programs. Design/Methodology/Approach Drawing on survey data from 568 undergraduates at the Bio-engineering Colleges within Jiangnan University and Tianjin Agricultural University, a structural equation modeling framework is employed. Social support is operationalized as three latent constructs – service support, caring support and group support – while leadership is expressed through four capabilities: technical, interpersonal, analytical reasoning and food-market control. Findings The measurement model demonstrates robust structural validity; the four-factor solution accounts for 68.76% of the total variance in leadership performance. Path analysis shows that service, caring and group support each exert a positive and significant influence on students’ leadership skills (standardized β > 0.30; p < 0.05), confirming the critical facilitation role of multi-dimensional social support in entrepreneurial settings. Practical implications Universities and program designers should engineer comprehensive support ecosystems – combining mentoring services, pastoral care and peer-to-peer communities – to accelerate leadership growth and, in turn, enhance venture success rates in student-led food innovation projects. Originality/Value By disaggregating social support into functional categories and mapping their differential effects on specific leadership competencies, this paper offers a nuanced, evidence-based blueprint for strengthening entrepreneurship education in the agri-food sector

Blueprint · Entrepreneurial Leadership · Entrepreneurship · Leadership development · Operationalization · Social entrepreneurship · Social innovation · Structural equation modeling · Variance (accounting) · Entrepreneurship Studies and Influences · Higher Education and Employability · Innovation and Socioeconomic Development