The impact of higher education on entrepreneurial intentions of university students in China

Purpose – The aim of this article is to investigate the relationship between Chinese university students' higher educational background and their entrepreneurial intentions. Design/methodology/approach – The TPB model was adopted and tested for the formation of Chinese university students' entrepreneurial intentions using structural equation modeling. Data were collected from students of Tongji University in Shanghai, China. Findings – The main results of this empirical research suggest that diversity of educational background offers plausible explanations on the difference of entrepreneurial intentions of Chinese university students. Higher educational institutions should develop more flexible approaches with focus on different groups of students in accordance with their various educational backgrounds. Practical implications – In response to the change of graduate labour market and the quest for sustainable competitive advantage in China, higher educational institutions have to integrate the change of mindset, skills and abilities about entrepreneurship in their general academic education in order to nurture university students' entrepreneurial intentions in China. Originality/value – The paper provides comprehensive empirical evidence about the impact of higher education on entrepreneurial intentions of university students in mainland China and thus fills an important gap in the entrepreneurship literature.