An exploration of changing student entrepreneurial motivators – a longitudinal analysis

Abstract

Purpose Entrepreneurial motivations are considered key determinants of the direction, intensity and duration of entrepreneurial processes and outcomes. To measure attitudes and outcome expectations related to an entrepreneurial career, researchers often use a set of predetermined behavioral beliefs or motivators. However, motivators can be numerous, context-specific and there is a lack of evidence regarding their stability over time. This study addresses this gap, while also providing a rich description of how Portuguese college students perceive entrepreneurship and how these perceptions relate to levels of entrepreneurial intentions (EI).Design/methodology/approach Using qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze data over a 5-year period, this study seeks to confirm existing evidence on entrepreneurship motivators' diversity and heterogeneity and to explore differences in motivators' temporal stability. Using an initial sample of 851 Portuguese college students and 3 different survey waves, this study first aggregates the most frequently cited motivators for EI to compile a series of meaningful motivational factors. Subsequently, it extensively analyzes the robustness of these factors by examining their validity against EI and stability over time.Findings Based on their superior association with EI and greater temporal stability, the findings suggest that entrepreneurship-intrinsic motivational factors are more relevant for college students' EI models. Prominently, being motivated to create one's own new business due to a particular occupational interest is the most consistently stable individual motivation.Practical implications The results may interest those studying entrepreneurial motivations and EI longitudinally and who invest in promoting entrepreneurial behavior of college students.Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to analyze entrepreneurship motivators/reasons' temporal stability, which is relevant for assessing their value for longitudinal entrepreneurship research and education. It is also the most complete assessment of Portuguese college students' perceptions of entrepreneurship.

Green entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia: shaping the landscape of the greener economy

“…This study's findings show, also, that EM has a positive and significant effect on GE. These findings are consistent with numerous previous studies (Deshpand e et al, 2013;Eijdenberg, 2016;Wang et al, 2021;Belchior and Lyons, 2022;Lingappa et al, 2023). These findings demonstrate that SMEs' employees make vital contributions to their SMEs being successful.…”

“…Entrepreneurship-intrinsic motivational constructs are more pertinent to college students' EI models. The most consistently steady individual motivation is being driven by a specific occupational passion to start a new business Belchior and Lyons (2022). In a similar dimension, Farhangmehr et al's (2016) empirical findings demonstrate EM's positive predictive power in developing the emotional component and critical thinking, in this respect, instructors may help students to develop their entrepreneurial psychologies and social abilities.…”

“…Entrepreneurship-intrinsic motivational constructs are more pertinent to college students' EI models. The most consistently steady individual motivation is being driven by a specific occupational passion to start a new business Belchior and Lyons (2022). In a similar dimension, Farhangmehr et al.…”

Do enterprise education competitions have gendered outcomes amongst STEM early-career researchers?

“…In response, we employ SCCT to examine the interest of individuals in an entrepreneurial career. SCCT is a suitable theoretical framework for this study given its recognition of the complexity of social reality and the influence of context upon individual's career intentions (Belchior and Lyons, 2022); factors particularly relevant to a gender-aware exploration of the impact of EEC participation upon the EI of STEM women (Cadaret et al, 2017).…”

“…EI are “ states of mind that direct attention, experience, and action toward a business concept ” (Bird, 1988, p.442). EI is among the most widely employed constructs used to measure an individual’s tendency to commit to entrepreneurial behaviour (Belchior and Lyons, 2022; Santos et al, 2021) and so, is the most prominent impact measure of entrepreneurship courses (Piva and Rovelli, 2021; Wegner et al, 2019). To examine EI, scholars employ several intention-based models with Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Shapiro’s Entrepreneurial Event Model (SEE) the most widely adopted (Shinnar et al, 2018).…”