| In today’s dynamic world,the decision to become an entrepreneur is complex one.In this regard,priorly,the role of social environment,cognitive social capital and cultural values has been widely recognized.However,less focus has been paid to examine the role of personal values,cultural intelligence,social networks,entrepreneurship programs,intrinsic motivation,and extrinsic motivation under perceived person-entrepreneurship fit boundary in determining the intention of entrepreneurial activities of university students.Thus,this dissertation aims to examine the impact of personal values,cultural intelligence,and entrepreneurship programs on entrepreneurial intentions through essential mechanisms of social network,and motivation to pursue entrepreneurial activities.In addition,the critical role of perceived person-entrepreneurship fit as boundary condition is also considered.To fulfill the above aim,three studies were conducted based on distinct theories and data.Primary data through survey instruments were collected from Chinese universities(from both Chinese and international students)through simple random sampling technique.These universities mainly located in the provinces of Beijing,Fujian,Shanghai,Anhui,Chongqing,and Yunnan.Based on person-environment fit theory,study 1 was designed to examine the direct influence of personal values,such as openness to change,self-enhancement,self-transcendence,and conservation on entrepreneurial intention under perceived person-entrepreneurship fit boundary condition.280 useful responses(study 1)were collected from six different universities.To test hypothesized relationships,hierarchical multiple regression analysis and simple slop tests were performed.The results show that openness to change and self-enhancement dimensions of personal values have positive influence on entrepreneurial intention of university students,and such influences are strengthened when openness to change and self-enhancement interacts with higher level of perceived person-entrepreneurship fit.While self-transcendence and conservation have negative influence on entrepreneurial intention.When perceived person-entrepreneurship fit as a necessary boundary condition weakens the negative influence of self-transcendence on entrepreneurial intention.However,the results reveal that there is non-significant moderating role of perceived person-entrepreneurship fit in the relationship between conservation and entrepreneurial intention.Study 2 is examining a moderated mediation model of cultural intelligence and entrepreneurial intention,where social network mediates the cultural intelligenceentrepreneurial intention link,while perceived person-entrepreneurship fit moderate the social network and entrepreneurial intention relationship.In case of study 2,391 useful responses were collected from 12 different universities.To test hypothesized relationships,hierarchical multiple regression analyses and simple slop tests were performed.To test mediational and moderated mediations hypotheses,conditional indirect effects were calculated following Preacher et al.(2007)suggestions.The results of this study indicated that cultural intelligence played a substantial role in enhancing entrepreneurial intention of universities student both directly and indirectly through social network,demonstrating that social network moderately mediated the association between cultural intelligence and entrepreneurial intention variables.In addition,the results highlighted that the high level of perceived person-entrepreneurship fit moderated the mediational interrelations between cultural intelligence,social network,and entrepreneurial intention.Study 3 seeks to investigate the influence of entrepreneurship education programs on students’ entrepreneurial intention through differential motivations mechanisms(i.e.,intrinsic and extrinsic motivations)and under boundary condition of perceived personenvironment fit.In case of study 3,223 useful responses were collected from eight different universities.To test hypothesized relationships,structure equation modeling(SEM)and simple slop tests were performed.Supplementary analyses were performed to test moderated mediations assumptions.The results demonstrated that entrepreneurship programs offered by universities,through its prioritization of university students’requirements via emotional empowerment and support,was exhibited to be extremely favorable to enhance university student motivation,as positive impact of entrepreneurship programs on intrinsic and extrinsic were found positive and significant.Both types of motivations,that is,intrinsic and extrinsic further have a positive influence on entrepreneurial intention,and these relationships were further strengthened under higher level of perceived person-environment fit boundary conditions.Overall,this dissertation findings suggests that personal values,cultural intelligence,and entrepreneurship programs play important role in determining the universities student’s entrepreneurial intention.The findings of the study enrich the existing body of literature regarding building and testing entrepreneurial intention models by determining that how social network and motivational can be prospectus mechanisms and how such mediational influences can be effective under perceived personenvironment fit boundary condition.This dissertation also has several theoretical and practical implications.Moreover,several future research directions were recommended for further studies. |
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