Abstract/Summary

Irrespective of support or opportunities, evidence suggests that most higher education business students in emerging markets are still primarily guided reactively (out of personal need or temporarily) into for-profit entrepreneurship rather than through personal incentive raising doubts on the impact of University entrepreneurial push strategies and programmes. We address the lack of meso level quantitative studies and propose a new student-related context sensitive conceptual model for student entrepreneurial intention in emerging markets exploring the extent to which a context-based and feasibility-oriented conceptual model is required. We propose the components Risk and Innovation, Autonomy, National norms and number of languages spoken all affect entrepreneurial intention. Furthermore, we suggest that education has a moderating effect overall and more so on the risk and innovation component. Our theoretical framework was partially supported as we show compelling evidence that risk and innovation, autonomy, and languages spoken have a significant effect on student entrepreneurial intention. The results indicate that conceptual frameworks differ by context and entrepreneurship education in emerging markets is contingent on specific human capital of students but can be stimulated through improving cognitive institutional structures and curricula focusing on context and attitudes towards risk taking.