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Shifting Mindsets: Changes in Entrepreneurial Intention Among University Students

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  • Panagiota Xanthopoulou

    (Department of Business Administration, University of West Attica, Agiou Spiridonos 28, Egaleo, 12243 Athens, Greece)

  • Alexandros Sahinidis

    (Department of Business Administration, University of West Attica, Agiou Spiridonos 28, Egaleo, 12243 Athens, Greece)

  • Androniki Kavoura

    (Department of Business Administration, University of West Attica, Agiou Spiridonos 28, Egaleo, 12243 Athens, Greece)

  • Ioannis Antoniadis

    (Department of Management Science and Technology, University of Western Macedonia, Kila, 50100 Kozani, Greece)

Abstract

Despite the growing interest in entrepreneurship education and its impact on entrepreneurial intention, there is limited research on why students’ entrepreneurial intentions change over time. It has been observed that university students’ intentions to pursue entrepreneurship are higher when they enroll in entrepreneurship courses; however, these intentions usually shift both before and after the completion of the entrepreneurship course. This study investigates the shift in entrepreneurial intention among university students. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, this study combines the qualitative research tools of interviews and diaries to explore the evolution of students’ entrepreneurial intentions. The research sample consisted of undergraduate university students of a Greek university who had attended an entrepreneurship and innovation course as part of their first-year curriculum in the academic year 2020–2021. The study utilized 163 structured interviews and complementary diary research on 96 students from the same cohort in the academic year 2023–2024. NVivo12 software (32 bits version) was used to analyze the primary data. The findings highlight notable changes in students’ entrepreneurial intentions as a result of a variety of factors, including the allure of the entrepreneurial idea, cohesiveness of the teams, teaching strategies employed, support provided by the university and their families, and certain personality traits. These findings provide valuable insights for educators and policymakers to better support and sustain entrepreneurial intentions among students, while also further expanding the understanding of the strategy development needs of entrepreneurship counseling and education, as very limited research has been conducted on this issue.

Suggested Citation

  • Panagiota Xanthopoulou & Alexandros Sahinidis & Androniki Kavoura & Ioannis Antoniadis, 2024. "Shifting Mindsets: Changes in Entrepreneurial Intention Among University Students," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-25, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:14:y:2024:i:11:p:272-:d:1503843
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Inés Ruiz-Rosa & Desiderio Gutiérrez-Taño & Francisco J. García-Rodríguez, 2020. "Social Entrepreneurial Intention and the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Structural Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-17, August.
    2. Ramoglou, Stratos & Gartner, William B. & Tsang, Eric W.K., 2020. "“Who is an entrepreneur?” is (still) the wrong question," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 13(C).
    3. Verheul, Ingrid & Thurik, Roy & Grilo, Isabel & van der Zwan, Peter, 2012. "Explaining preferences and actual involvement in self-employment: Gender and the entrepreneurial personality," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 325-341.
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