This article tests a model of entrepreneurial career choice in university students based upon Social Cognitive Career Theory. In particular, we hypothesize that entrepreneurial interests affect career choice and that perceived self-efficacy is related to outcome expectations and both constructs affect interests and career choice. Additionally, this study explores the differences in these variables and tests the generalization of the relationships among students in both entrepreneurship- and non-entrepreneurship-related disciplines. Data collected from a survey of 400 students at a Spanish university are analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance and Partial Least Squares. The findings indicate that self-efficacy exerted positive effects on outcome expectations, entrepreneurial interests, and career choice, which holds for students across disciplines. However, interests are not associated with career choice, whereas the effects of outcome expectations depend on their extrinsic/intrinsic nature and the student’s academic orientation.

Resumen: Este trabajo analiza las limitaciones de la literatura previa sobre intenciones emprendedoras de estudiantes universitarios y propone un modelo de elección de carreras emprendedoras basado en la Teoría Social Cognitiva de Carrera (TSCC) de Lent, Brown y Hackett (1994, 2000. Particularmente, el estudio hipotetiza una relación secuencial directa entre intereses vocacionales, intenciones y conductas emprendedoras, desencadenada a su vez por las creencias de autoeficacia y expectativas de resultados extrínsecos e intrínsecos atribuidos a la creación de empresas. En la puesta a prueba del modelo, se describe un estudio realizado con 400 estudiantes universitarios de distintas áreas de conocimiento. Los resultados del trabajo, obtenidos mediante la técnica PLS (Partial Least Squares), confirman una relación positiva entre intereses, intenciones y conductas emprendedoras tempranas y erigen la autoeficacia emprendedora como el principal desencadenante de dicha secuencia de metas. Por su parte, las expectativas de resultados intrínsecos se asocian con los intereses vocacionales por la creación de empresas mientras que las recompensas esperadas a nivel extrínseco no influyen en el modelo. Los resultados tienen importantes implicaciones para el diseño de programas de apoyo a la iniciativa emprendedora en entornos universitarios. Palabras clave: Iniciativa emprendedora; intención emprendedora; Teoría Social Cognitiva de Carrera (TSCC); elección de carrera; autoeficacia emprendedora; estudiantes universitarios; ecuaciones estructurales.Title: A social cognitive model of entrepreneurial intentions in university students. Abstract: This work analyzes the limitations of previous literature on entrepreneurial intentions of university students and proposes a model of entrepreneurial career choice based on Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) by Hackett (1994, 2000). Particularly, the study hypothesizes a sequential direct path between entrepreneurial vocational interests, intentions and nascent behaviors, which in turn would be triggered by the beliefs of self-efficacy and outcome expectations attributed to business start-up at both extrinsic and intrinsic levels. To test the hypotheses of the model, an empirical study carried out with 400 university students within different knowledge areas is described. The results obtained, using the PLS (Partial Least Squares) technique, confirm a positive direct link between entrepreneurial interests, intentions and nascent behaviors, while perceived entrepreneurial self-efficacy predicts such goal sequence. Otherwise, intrinsic outcome expectations are related to vocational interest in business startup, whereas expected extrinsic rewards do not play any important role in the model. These findings have important implications for the design of entrepreneurship support programs in university environments.

Consumers are often overexposed to sustainability symbols and claims on food product packages and find it difficult to accurately judge their meaning when making purchase decisions. Based on the heuristic-systematic model (HSM), this paper aims to identify cognitive mechanisms to reduce the heuristic credibility of organic advertising claims and to increase the motivation for searching for more reliable information when making product judgements. Particularly, we hypothesize that knowledge and defense and accuracy motivations affect organic claim credibility, which in turn is related to organic product judgement. Data collected from an experimental between-subject study with a sample of 412 Spanish undergraduates was analyzed using partial least squares. The results indicated that claim credibility was directly related to the attribution of organic properties to products, and was affected by defense motivation especially when appropriate knowledge was not available. Improving consumers’ knowledge reduced organic claim credibility and triggered a positive effect of accuracy motivation on credibility. The findings stress the importance of improving the regulation of ambitious advertising claims and developing specific educational campaigns to empower consumers and prevent biased purchase decisions of organic products.

Despite the growing awareness of the need to promote the consumption of organic food, consumers have difficulties in correctly identifying it in the market, making frequent cognitive mistakes in the evaluation of products identified by sustainability labels and claims. This work analyzes the halo effect and the source credibility bias in the interpretation of product attributes based on third-party certified labels. It is hypothesized that, regardless of their specific meaning, official labels lead consumers to infer higher environmental sustainability, quality and price of the product, due to the credibility attributed to the certifying entity. It also examines the extent to which providing the consumer with accurate labeling information helps prevent biased heuristic thinking. An experimental between-subject study was performed with a sample of 412 Spanish business students and data were analyzed using partial least squares. Findings revealed that consumers tend to infer environmental superiority and, consequently, higher quality in products identified by both organic and non-organic certified labels, due to their credibility. Label credibility was also associated with price inferences, to a greater extent than the meaning attributed to the label. Interestingly, providing accurate information did not avoid biased heuristic thinking in product evaluation.

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