University’s support for entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial intention: the mediating role of entrepreneurial climate

Abstract

Purpose Drawing on institutional theory, this paper seeks to untangle the relationship between university support for entrepreneurship and students’ entrepreneurial intentions. Specifically, this study aims to examine whether entrepreneurial climates within universities mediate the relationship between university support for entrepreneurship and students’ entrepreneurial intention. Design/methodology/approach Empirical data is drawn from 195 students across three Malaysian higher education institutions. Partial least squares procedures are used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings Findings show that no element of university support for entrepreneurship had a direct effect on students’ entrepreneurial intentions. However, the entrepreneurial climate was found – to mediate the relationship between perceived business and concept development support and students’ entrepreneurial intentions. Originality/value This study represents one of the few efforts in the literature considering the role of entrepreneurial climates within universities in influencing students’ entrepreneurial intention. In considering the mediating role of entrepreneurial climate, in the relationship between university support for entrepreneurship and students’ entrepreneurial intentions, this study provides a complementary and contextualised perspective, to existing studies, which have traditionally focussed on the mediating role of individual attributes. Doing so provides further evidence of entrepreneurial universities in fostering entrepreneurship.

Do knowledge and personality traits influence women entrepreneurs’ e-commerce venture? Testing on the multiple mediation model

“…Based on the demographic profile, this study found that most respondents have obtained an undergraduate academic qualification (57.9%). Therefore, nurturing entrepreneurship should be started from home continuously up to the tertiary level (Sim et al , 2023). Characteristics of entrepreneurship and interest in entrepreneurship can be cultivated when the trainers use various teaching approaches that can attract the interest of an individual to venture into entrepreneurship (Hermann and Bossle, 2020).…”

Investigating antecedent constructs affecting potential Australian travellers’ destination image of Fiji amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

“…The first step involves performing the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), followed by the second step, where SEM is performed using SPSS and AMOS Graphics 25. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was not performed as the scales employed in this study were well-tested in prior studies, and no additions were made to the scale (Mahapatra & Mishra, 2017;Öğretmenoğlu et al, 2022;Sim et al, 2021). Additionally, Hair et al (2020) claimed that EFA is required when constructs have no prior patterns or hypotheses.…”

Graduate Work Readiness: An Insight into Entrepreneurship Education, Skills and Intention

“…Previous studies identify factors that can influence the intention of a graduate to choose entrepreneurship as a career. Besides personality traits, an entrepreneur can be shaped by various factors that can be trained and learned (Sim et al, 2023). This includes social engagement in business, and encouragement from family members, peers (Ahmed et al, 2021), entrepreneurial values (Al-Lawati et al, 2022), education factor (Sim et al, 2023;Uddin et al, 2022), andcommunity andsurroundings (Al-Lawati et al, 2022) factors in motivating an individual to choose to become an entrepreneur.…”

“…Another concern highlighted by Sim et al (2023) is that the engagement between academics and university students still needs to improve (Nungsari et al, 2023;Sim et al, 2023;Suffian et al, 2018). In empowering entrepreneurship as part of graduate employability, graduates often regard entrepreneurship as a second choice for the career pathway.…”

“…Previous studies highlighted that interest, skills, and opportunities contribute to this scenario (Almahry et al, 2018;Boucher et al, 2023;Nungsari et al, 2023). Sim et al (2023) found that educators play a crucial role as change agents in both theoretical and practical levels for implementing entrepreneurship education in schools. Besides the enterprising subjects influencing students' interest in entrepreneurship, teachers with entrepreneurial experience could significantly encourage students' entrepreneurial intentions (Uddin et al, 2022).…”