Why is changing students’ entrepreneurial intentions so hard? On dissonance reduction and the self-imposed self-fulfilling prophecy

van Ewijk, AR; Cheng, J; Chang, FYM

Why is changing students’ entrepreneurial intentions so hard? On dissonance reduction and the self-imposed self-fulfilling prophecy

van Ewijk, AR Cheng, J Chang, FYM

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Publisher:: Elsevier
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: International Journal of Management Education, 2023, 21, (3), pp. 100896
Issue Date:: 2023-11-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	van Ewijk, AR
dc.contributor.author	Cheng, J
dc.contributor.author	Chang, FYM
dc.date.accessioned	2024-05-30T20:06:25Z
dc.date.available	2024-05-30T20:06:25Z
dc.date.issued	2023-11-01
dc.identifier.citation	International Journal of Management Education, 2023, 21, (3), pp. 100896
dc.identifier.issn	1472-8117
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/179351
dc.description.abstract	While most policymakers and researchers focus on how students' entrepreneurial intentions can be increased, this study examines what makes the change so difficult, i.e., why pre- and post-course entrepreneurial intentions are strongly related. Building on dissonance reduction theory pursuant to the self-imposed self-fulfilling prophecy phenomenon, we tested a serial mediation model in contexts that give rise to differing expectations regarding the role of inspiration: entrepreneurship versus other courses, in developed versus developing countries. Using pre-test post-test survey data collected from (mostly business) students at 16 universities across nine countries, we analysed an internationally representative sample of 580 valid responses through structural equation modelling. The results confirmed the serial mediation mechanism: pre-course intentions are positively related to students' expected entrepreneurial inspiration, enhancing in turn their experienced entrepreneurial inspiration, which ultimately leads to higher post-course intentions. This mechanism is significantly stronger among students taking entrepreneurship (versus other) courses but is unaffected by the economic context, as it is equally significant across developed and developing countries. Our findings shed light on exploring the determinants of intention fixedness, which is severely under-researched. Furthermore, our study enables policymakers and entrepreneurship educators to draft a more realistic expectation of students’ post-course entrepreneurial intentions.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Elsevier
dc.relation.ispartof	International Journal of Management Education
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.ijme.2023.100896
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy, 1503 Business and Management, 1505 Marketing
dc.subject.classification	3507 Strategy, management and organisational behaviour
dc.subject.classification	3901 Curriculum and pedagogy
dc.title	Why is changing students’ entrepreneurial intentions so hard? On dissonance reduction and the self-imposed self-fulfilling prophecy
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	21
utslib.for	1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy
utslib.for	1503 Business and Management
utslib.for	1505 Marketing
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2024-05-30T20:06:24Z
pubs.issue	3
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	21
utslib.citation.issue	3

Abstract:

While most policymakers and researchers focus on how students' entrepreneurial intentions can be increased, this study examines what makes the change so difficult, i.e., why pre- and post-course entrepreneurial intentions are strongly related. Building on dissonance reduction theory pursuant to the self-imposed self-fulfilling prophecy phenomenon, we tested a serial mediation model in contexts that give rise to differing expectations regarding the role of inspiration: entrepreneurship versus other courses, in developed versus developing countries. Using pre-test post-test survey data collected from (mostly business) students at 16 universities across nine countries, we analysed an internationally representative sample of 580 valid responses through structural equation modelling. The results confirmed the serial mediation mechanism: pre-course intentions are positively related to students' expected entrepreneurial inspiration, enhancing in turn their experienced entrepreneurial inspiration, which ultimately leads to higher post-course intentions. This mechanism is significantly stronger among students taking entrepreneurship (versus other) courses but is unaffected by the economic context, as it is equally significant across developed and developing countries. Our findings shed light on exploring the determinants of intention fixedness, which is severely under-researched. Furthermore, our study enables policymakers and entrepreneurship educators to draft a more realistic expectation of students’ post-course entrepreneurial intentions.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/179351