Resumo

In recent decades, universities went through a paradigm shift. Beyond teaching and researching, these institutions now play a significant role in producing new ideas and generating commercially exploitable knowledge, as well as of serving as hub for innovation. Though embedded in larger entrepreneurial ecosystems, universities form their own ecosystems, with specific sets of actors and factors for producing entrepreneurial activity. In this respect, the undergraduate student is surrounded by many elements available which can influence his or her intention to become entrepreneurs.

Despite being safe to say that the university ecosystem is an important predictor of EI, this phenomenon behaves differently between ecosystems and the full extent of its ability to affect student’s entrepreneurial behavior still presents some gaps. Furthermore, the developing countries scenario is still underexplored. Hence, the goal of this research is to explore the impact of regional entrepreneurship supportive university ecosystems of a developing country – Brazil – on student’s entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial characteristics.

A positive environmental influence empowers students to take action and start their businesses, thus becoming full-fledged entrepreneurs. Therefore, the more supportive a university ecosystem (UE) is, the more likely students will engage in entrepreneurial activities. However, this phenomenon is not homogenous. Furthermore, entrepreneurs are often described as having a specific mindset and assuming certain characteristics. So it is not a strech to imagine that the UE can influence students in this respect as well.

The research was developed with the use of multivariate data analysis. We opted for Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), as to identify degrees of prediction and explanation of presented constructs. Furthermore, the developed research model contains reflective and formative indicators, and one hierarchical latent variable, which is another reason to use PLS-SEM.

By means of a robust conceptual model and a sample of 1,012 respondents, we have confirmed that the Brazilian university ecosystem influences student’s entrepreneurship related behavioral characteristics. Additionally, we’ve found that said ecosystem has a greater impact on the formation of student’s entrepreneurial characteristics than on their entrepreneurial intention. Moreover, from both direct influencers of intention, entrepreneurial characteristics prevails over the university ecosystem.

Our evidences point to the possibility that the stimuli for helping students start their own business is either underexplored or ineffective at all. If it is the former, changes in the entrepreneurship supportive arrangements of the university ecosystem would suffice to better influence student’s entrepreneurial intention. However, if it is the latter, then perhaps the university should concentrate its efforts on reinforcing the entrepreneurial characteristics of students, something we found it to perform better at.

Saeed, S., Yousafzai, S. Y., Yani-De-Soriano, M., & Muffatto, M. (2015). The Role of Perceived University Support in the Formation of Students’ Entrepreneurial Intention. Journal of Small Business Management, 53(4), 1127–1145. Moraes, G. H. S. M. de, Iizuka, E. S., & Pedro, M. (2018). Effects of Entrepreneurial Characteristics and University Environment on Entrepreneurial Intention. Revista de Administração Contemporânea, 22(2), 226–248. Hair, Hult, Ringle & Sarstedt . (2017). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Thousand Oaks: Sage.