Assessing and understanding entrepreneurial profiles of undergraduate students: implications of heterogeneity for entrepreneurship education

Abstract

The present research uses exploratory quantitative methods to assess and understand the entrepreneurial profiles of undergraduate student groups as a driver for initial entrepreneurial intentions. The authors do this by examining the entrepreneurial self-efficacy, entrepreneurial skills, and entrepreneurial personality traits of undergraduate students, with a focus on differences between students who select entrepreneurship as their academic concentration and those who do not. A total of 1554 student assessments were analyzed from twenty-four universities, with approximately 75% of the respondents from the USA and 25% from outside the USA. Results demonstrate the heterogeneous nature of student groups and entrepreneurial profiles, with significant differences observed among various student majors. Findings of the study have theoretical, empirical, and practical implications for the design and delivery of undergraduate entrepreneurship education.