Influence of university-related factors on students' entrepreneurial intentions

This study analysed the influence of university education factors on the entrepreneurial intentions of 35,335 Latin American students, using structural equation modelling. The main contribution of this study is a model of higher education factors as antecedents in the theory of planned behaviour, to explain the entrepreneurial intention in developing countries. The main results show that entrepreneurship courses and the favourable perception of an entrepreneurial university environment were positively related to entrepreneurial intentions. Although both variables have a direct effect on such intentions, the university environment was a stronger one. These results deepen the extant empirical research on the subject, since most scholars have focused on indirect effects instead. Universities should design strategies beyond their classrooms that are aimed at improving the intentions that will guide students' entrepreneurial behaviour and choices.