Classroom interdisciplinary diversity and entrepreneurial intentions

Abstract

Drawing on Ajzen’s (1991) theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and the interactionist model of creative behaviour by Woodman et al. (1993), this article examines the impact of classroom interdisciplinary diversity (mixing students with different profiles and career fields of interest in the classroom), a type of classroom diversity that has been under-examined in the previous literature, on students’ entrepreneurial intentions (EI). Based on survey data and a partial least squares (PLS) analysis, we provide empirical evidence on the value of classroom interdisciplinary diversity in increasing the EI of first-year students through its impact on entrepreneurial perceived behavioural control, which is instrumental in the formation of EI. We contribute to the scant literature on early university experiences of entrepreneurship education and the influence of these experiences on entrepreneurial intentions. The results have important implications for educational practice as well as for both public and private organizations promoting entrepreneurial activity.

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Emerald in EDUCATION + TRAINING on 13/02/2019, available online: https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-06-2018-0136