Aug 2026· Administrative Sciences· Vol 16, pp. 406· 0 citations· 53 references
Abstract
Purpose: This study investigates the structural pathways driving the startup potential of Generation Z students in Romania’s post-transition economy. It examines the sequential relationship between Entrepreneurial Mindset (EM), Entrepreneurial Intentions (EIs), and Entrepreneurial Behavior (EB), focusing on the mediating role of intentions in bridging the gap between cognition and action. Design/methodology/approach: Using a quantitative explanatory design, data were collected through a two-stage hybrid framework from a sample of 215 Romanian business students associated with the Hackathon Innovation Labs (HILs), selected via a non-probability purposive sampling method. Hypotheses were tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with maximum likelihood estimation, supported by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to ensure statistical rigor. Findings: Results confirm that EM is a robust predictor of EI, which significantly drives EB, explaining 45.2% of its variance. The findings highlight that intentions fully mediate the relationship, suggesting that a growth-oriented mindset turns into firm intentions to overcome institutional and cultural barriers. Originality: This research applies a rigorous SEM framework to a cohort of digital natives in an underrepresented Eastern European emerging market. It integrates mindset as a foundational cognitive precursor and provides empirical evidence of the sequential path to entrepreneurial behavior. Research limitations/implications: The study is limited by its sample size and geographic focus on Romanian business students. Future longitudinal research should explore external contingency factors, such as access to capital and ecosystem support, to validate model generalizability. Practical and social implications: Higher education should shift toward experiential programs like HILs, embedding credit-bearing hackathons and micro-credentials to foster an entrepreneurial mindset. Socially, sustaining this momentum with structured mentorship bridges the intention–action gap, transforming Gen Z’s digital potential into tangible economic value for the post-transition ecosystem.
The findings support generationally differentiated HR interventions for strengthening human–AI collaboration in higher education and contribute to SDGs 4, 8, and 9.
Wahdaniaht Wahdaniah, Ayyub Yunus, Mujirin M. Yamin· Vifada Management and Social...· 0 citations
In the context of global higher education increasingly emphasizing competency development and social contribution, understanding how university entrepreneurship support translates into students’ action readiness remains a critical yet under-theorized question. This study explores the associations between three dimensions of Perceived University Support (PUS)—Perceived Entrepreneurship Education Support (PES), Perceived Concept Development Support (PCDS), and Perceived Business Development Support (PBDS)—with university students’ Entrepreneurial Intention (EI), while testing the mediating role of task-specific Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy (ESE). Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 554 Chinese university students (response rate: 96.52%) utilizing a 13-item three-dimensional PUS scale, a 26-item task-specific ESE scale, and a 5-item EI scale. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the superiority of the three-factor PUS structure over a single-factor alternative. Mediation analysis using the PROCESS macro (Model 4) with 5,000 bootstrap resamples revealed that PES, PCDS, and PBDS each positively predicted ESE, which in turn positively predicted EI, with all indirect effects being statistically significant. The results indicate a robust partial mediation pattern. Notably, PCDS emerged as a critical developmental bridge. The findings suggest that partial mediation may reflect China-specific institutional mechanisms, such as policy-driven initiatives and honor-based incentive systems. Universities are advised to prioritize concept development support to effectively bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and commercialization.
Jinwen Zhang, Xinxing Dai· Frontiers in Education· 0 citations
This study examines the role of family in the digital entrepreneurial intentions of Generation Z (Gen Z) in developing countries. Drawing on survey data from 377 Gen Z students in Vietnam, this study clarifies how family background and family support influence young people’s digital entrepreneurial intention. The results show that family background significantly impacts perceived behavioral control (β = 0.294), while family support positively influences entrepreneurial attitude (β = 0.360) and subjective norms (β = 0.373). The model explains 41.7% of the variance in digital entrepreneurial intention, with family support and family background serving as key upstream antecedents. Notably, the path from subjective norms to intention was not statistically significant and is not supported. This research fills a gap regarding family’s role in digital entrepreneurship in developing countries and extends the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) by integrating family-related variables as key antecedents of Gen Z students’ digital entrepreneurial intention.
M. Phan, Duc M. Nguyen, Phượng Thị Ngọc Nguyễn· Journal of Science & Technol...· 0 citations
This study investigates the transition from intention to actualization among social entrepreneurs in Baguio City, Philippines, bridging the critical "intention-action gap" in sustainable venture creation. Utilizing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, quantitative survey data (N = 104) structured around the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Entrepreneurial Event Model (EEM) were analyzed via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), followed by thematic analysis of Focused Group Discussions (FGDs). Quantitative results reveal that Attitude Toward the Behavior (ATB), Subjective Norms (SN), and Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) significantly predict Social Entrepreneurial Intention (SEI). Furthermore, SEI strongly influences venture Actualization, heavily mediated by Perceived Desirability, Perceived Feasibility, and an inherent Propensity to Act. Qualitative findings elucidate critical real-world strategies, including compounding micro-resource bootstrapping, localized value chain integration matching Michael Porter’s Creating Shared Value (CSV) paradigm, and multi-stakeholder governance models. The study provides a comprehensive, integrated framework that maps the cognitive-to-behavioral transition, offering actionable insights for educators, impact investors, and policymakers to move beyond fostering mere intent toward engineered structural implementation.
A. Culaton· International Journal of Sci...· 0 citations
Underpinned by cognitive approach theory, this study explores the effect of cognitive precursors, namely self-efficacy, role models, and fear of failure, on the intention of venture creation across genders in Japan. A quantitative design was employed using binary logistic regression. The analysis was conducted on a sample of 1,912 respondents, with male (N = 1,020) and female (N = 892) subsamples under the GEM study, and using a pooled model to compare the strength and direction of the variables across genders after accounting for the effects of demographic factors. The findings show that both self-efficacy and having role models were consistent and significant across models, with these cognitive factors being more significant within the female subsample. Contrary to the hypothesized effect, fear of venture failure did not negatively influence entrepreneurship intent and exhibited a surprising positive relationship for women. This research contributes to the gender-based entrepreneurship literature, whilst historically Japan remains strongly influenced by a gendered institutional environment, cognitive factors serve as a significant driver for women more than for men. In addition, the unexpected finding regarding the fear of venture failure provides insights into how the role of risk is perceived by a prospective female entrepreneur in the Japanese context.
Muhammad Amirulafiq Juhari· Journal of Asia Entrepreneur...· 0 citations
This study examines the psychological and behavioral drivers of student entrepreneurship by analyzing the influence of subjective happiness and individual-level Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) on entrepreneurial initiative. Shifting the paradigm from reactive, hardship-driven entrepreneurship to proactive talent development, this research integrates positive psychology via Fredrickson’s Broaden-and-Build theory into the framework of Human Resource Management (HRM) and graduate employability. Using a quantitative, causal-explanatory design, self-reported data were collected via a purposive sampling approach from 145 private university students enrolled in entrepreneurship curricula in Jakarta, Indonesia. The structural model was evaluated using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Procedural remedies, including Harman’s single-factor test, were deployed to rule out common method bias. The empirical findings reveal that both subjective happiness (β = 0.095, p = 0.045) and entrepreneurial orientation (β = 0.089, p = 0.030) exert positive and statistically significant direct effects on students’ entrepreneurial initiative, collectively explaining 10.8% of the behavioral variance. Despite structural limitations inherent in binary operationalization, the results demonstrate that psychological well-being and a strategic attitudinal posture function as vital antecedents that broaden cognitive flexibility and motivate self-starting, proactive actions. Practically, these insights provide higher education administrators and corporate HRM practitioners with a blueprint to foster workplace and academic happiness as a strategic lever for nurturing future intrapreneurs and driving corporate innovation capital.
Frangky Selamat, A. Pamungkas, C. Wolor et al.· Human Resources Management a...· 0 citations