Shifting Mindsets: Changes in Entrepreneurial Intention Among University Students

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.

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