University entrepreneurship: how to trigger entrepreneurial intent of undergraduate students
Journal of Science and Technology Policy Management
ISSN: 2053-4620
Article publication date: 7 June 2018
Issue publication date: 15 October 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the elements and relationships that explain the entrepreneurial intent in university students, evaluating possible gender and degree differences.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is of quantitative approach, survey research design and cross-sectional method. The instrument used was a self-administered questionnaire answered by undergraduate university students enrolled in a public university. The sampling was stratified random, with a representative sample size of 734 cases. For data analysis and hypothesis testing, a confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model were made.
Findings
The results show that the entrepreneurial self-efficacy attribute largely explains the entrepreneurial intent, while all other variables, such as entrepreneurial identity aspirations and outcome expectations, play a less important role but maintain some influence.
Research limitations/implications
According to the findings of this research, institutions of higher education should direct efforts to improve the entrepreneurial skills of students, especially for women. And the creation of an institutional entrepreneurial culture should also be emphasized so that the university students are able to build an entrepreneurial identity.
Originality/value
The value of the research is the proposed integrative model that explains how to trigger entrepreneurial intent, shows the prominent role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy as a predictor variable of entrepreneurial intent and the role of entrepreneur identity aspirations and entrepreneurial self-efficacy as mediating variables. Additionally, this research identifies differences in the model of entrepreneurial intent derived from the variables of gender and degrees.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to CICTD of the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi, Drs. Doan Winkel, Jeff Vanevenhoven and Lázaro Rodríguez Ariza and the collaborators of the project, Yadira Palacios Gámez, Hector González Leyva, Armando Santa María Torres, Brenda Rodríguez Robledo and Miriam Torres Noyola.
Citation
Rodríguez Gutiérrez, P.I., Pastor Pérez, M.d.P. and Alonso Galicia, P.E. (2019), "University entrepreneurship: how to trigger entrepreneurial intent of undergraduate students", Journal of Science and Technology Policy Management, Vol. 10 No. 4, pp. 927-950. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSTPM-04-2018-0037
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited