Enterprise development from students: The case of universities in Vietnam and the Philippines

Abstract

This study aims to explore the relations between the factors of the start-up environment and entrepreneurial intentions of students in universities in Vietnam and the Philippines by combining key elements of theory of reasoned action, theory of planned behaviour, theory of entrepreneurial events and model of entrepreneurial potential. Research findings were expected to test the appropriateness of this proposed model in the context of Vietnam and the Philippines. A bilateral survey was carried out among 819 students at five universities in Vietnam and the Philippines and the Structural Equation Modelling was applied to estimate the determinants of the students’ entrepreneurial intentions. The findings indicated that subjective norms, entrepreneurial education, entrepreneurial desirability, and entrepreneurial motivation were positively related to perceived feasibility. Entrepreneurial education was the key determinant of entrepreneurial intention. Barriers for startups demonstrated a negative effect on the perceived feasibility. The key role of entrepreneurial education to entrepreneurial intention was confirmed in both countries. However, there are existing challenges in entrepreneurial education which required more respective supports from governments to promote the enterprise development.