Effects of Entrepreneurial Characteristics and University Environment on Entrepreneurial Intention

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the effects of entrepreneurial and university environment characteristics on the entrepreneurial intention of the undergraduate student. We developed a model that considers the university environment, self-efficacy, and risk-taking as direct influencers of entrepreneurial intention, and entrepreneurial characteristics as influencers of self-efficacy. We employed quantitative methodology and data were analyzed by Structural Equation Models using the Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) technique. The sample consisted of 287 students in the final year of undergraduate programs at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp). The results indicate that the entrepreneurial intention of students is influenced by the university environment and the attitude toward risk-taking and self-efficacy. Self-efficacy, in turn, is influenced by student characteristics regarding planning, leadership, and innovation. The research corroborates with complementary reflections on entrepreneurship studies, showing a model for evaluation of entrepreneurial characteristics of students and of the entrepreneurial context in educational institutions, and proving that there is a positive relationship between the context, entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial intention of the students.