The impact of higher education on entrepreneurial intentions of university students in China

Abstract

Purpose -The aim of this article is to investigate the relationship between Chinese university students' higher educational background and their entrepreneurial intentions. Design/methodology/approach -The TPB model was adopted and tested for the formation of Chinese university students' entrepreneurial intentions using structural equation modeling. Data were collected from students of Tongji University in Shanghai, China. Findings -The main results of this empirical research suggest that diversity of educational background offers plausible explanations on the difference of entrepreneurial intentions of Chinese university students. Higher educational institutions should develop more flexible approaches with focus on different groups of students in accordance with their various educational backgrounds. Practical implications -In response to the change of graduate labour market and the quest for sustainable competitive advantage in China, higher educational institutions have to integrate the change of mindset, skills and abilities about entrepreneurship in their general academic education in order to nurture university students' entrepreneurial intentions in China. Originality/value -The paper provides comprehensive empirical evidence about the impact of higher education on entrepreneurial intentions of university students in mainland China and thus fills an important gap in the entrepreneurship literature.

Condições Estruturais Empreendedorasna Criação De Novos Negócios: A Visão De Especialistas

“…A educação formal representa, na maioria dos casos, um importante investimento por parte dos indivíduos, não só porque este tem uma natureza contínua no tempo, como também constitui um meio por meio do qual os indivíduos podem melhorar a sua condição de vida. É possível comprovar empiricamente que, à medida que o nível de educação formal dos indivíduos aumenta, também melhora, na mesma proporção, o seu nível de vida (Wu & Wu, 2008). O impacto do nível de educação alcançado, em particular no domínio dos negócios, predispõe o individuo para uma atitude mais favorável em relação ao empreendedorismo (Le, 1999;Lucas, 1978).…”

Attitude of university students to entrepreneurship

“…There are several studies about the impact of entrepreneurial education/training programmes on entrepreneurial behaviour (Turker & Selcuk, 2008;Wu & Wu, 2008;Wang & Wong, 2004). Lee et al (2005) in their cross-cultural research found that young university students are likely to take the step into entrepreneurship if their country can provide customised entrepreneurship education.…”

Escala de Potencial Empreendedor: evidências de validade fatorial confirmatória, estrutura dimensional e eficácia preditiva

“…Other psychosocial approaches (e.g., Sarasvathy, 2004;Wu & Wu, 2008;Santos et al, 2010;Karabey, 2012;Roxas & Chadee, 2013; admit further that contextual and social factors also act as entrepreneurial behaviour predictors -logically, respecting the individual predisposition. That is, a person potentially entrepreneur may be influenced by economic changes (e.g., increased unemployment), marketing (e.g., emergence of a technology or trend) or individual factors (e.g., training or institutional incentives), and because of that, this person starts a business, as Santos (2008) defended.…”

“…These studies start from the same point of analysis, the measurement of idiosyncratic behaviours usual among entrepreneurs and the convention that the entrepreneurship is not only linked to the opening of business, but to the individual dispositional traits, related to personality, attitudes, beliefs, interests, values, self-concept, capacity and emotional patterns (Rauch & Frese, 2007;Gelderen et al, 2008;Wu & Wu, 2008;Santos et al, 2009;Schmidt & Bohnenberger, 2009;Nascimento et al, 2010;Obschonka et al, 2010;Alves & Bornia, 2011;Brandstätter, 2011;Abebe, 2012;Karabey, 2012;Minello & Scherer, 2012;Mathieu & St-Jean, 2013;Moraes et al, 2013;Tajeddini et al, 2013;Roxas & Chadee, 2013).…”