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Antecedents of international entrepreneurial intentions among students of international business: The mediating role of international entrepreneurship education

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Abstract

The study of international entrepreneurship intention (IEI) and behavior is an emerging field of research interest that is gaining momentum. This paper explored the antecedents of IEI as well as the role of international entrepreneurship education in nurturing the same. The paper set out the theoretical model based on the theory of planned behavior and attempted to revisit and ascertain it for IEI through empirical investigation. The role of universities and campuses in the development of entrepreneurial activities enable young and nascent entrepreneurs to develop intentions that can be later converted into actual behavior in form of venture creation. Hence, the respondents selected were post-graduate students, and a sample of 321 students was collected through a self-designed questionnaire. Data analysis was done using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The findings suggest that the influential factors for international entrepreneurship intentions are global mindset and perceived behavior control. It was also established in this study that international entrepreneurship education plays a significant and mediating role between global mindset on IEI and enhances the impact of the global mindset. Global mindset is much needed for the students to have a broader understanding of entrepreneurship at a global level and it can affect the IEI. This paper has contributed a new understanding by linking international entrepreneurship intentions with international entrepreneurship education through the theory of planned behavior approach. The results and findings will help policymakers and educators to design and implement the curriculum of entrepreneurship education with respect to internationalization.

Résumé

L'étude de l'intention et du comportement de l'entrepreneuriat international (IEI) est un domaine de recherche émergent qui prend de l'ampleur. Cet article explore les antécédents de l'IEI ainsi que le rôle de l'enseignement de l'entrepreneuriat international dans son développement. L'article présente le modèle théorique basé sur la théorie du comportement planifié et tente de le réexaminer et de le vérifier pour l'IEI par le biais d'une enquête empirique. Le rôle des universités et des campus dans le développement des activités entrepreneuriales permet aux jeunes et aux entrepreneurs naissants de développer des intentions qui peuvent ensuite être converties en comportement réel sous la forme de création d'entreprise. Par conséquent, les répondants sélectionnés étaient des étudiants de troisième cycle, et un échantillon de 321 étudiants a été collecté par le biais d'un questionnaire auto-conçu. L'analyse des données a été réalisée à l'aide d'une analyse factorielle confirmatoire et d'une modélisation par équation structurelle. Les résultats suggèrent que les facteurs influençant les intentions d'entrepreneuriat international sont l'état d'esprit global et le contrôle comportemental perçu. Il a également été établi dans cette étude que la formation en entrepreneuriat international joue un rôle significatif et médiateur entre l'état d'esprit global et l'IEI et renforce l'impact de l'état d'esprit global. L'état d'esprit global est très nécessaire pour que les étudiants aient une compréhension plus large de l'entrepreneuriat à un niveau global et il peut affecter l'IEI. Cet article a apporté une nouvelle compréhension en reliant les intentions d'entrepreneuriat international à l'éducation à l'entrepreneuriat international par le biais de la théorie du comportement planifié. Les résultats et les conclusions aideront les décideurs et les éducateurs à concevoir et à mettre en œuvre le programme d'enseignement de l'entrepreneuriat en ce qui concerne l'internationalisation.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the reviewers for their valuable time and efforts in reviewing our research paper. Their feedback and suggestions have been instrumental in improving the quality and clarity of the paper. We are grateful for their thorough and constructive comments, and are grateful for the opportunity to revise and resubmit our paper.

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Sarika Sharma: Introduction, Literature review.

Shreya Virani: Data Analysis, Results.

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Sharma, S., Virani, S. Antecedents of international entrepreneurial intentions among students of international business: The mediating role of international entrepreneurship education. J Int Entrep 21, 586–610 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10843-023-00329-2

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