Determinants of digital entrepreneurial intentions among higher education students: an integrated theory perspective of TPB, social cognitive, and human capital

Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to identify and examine the factors influencing students’ digital entrepreneurial intentions (DEIs). Specifically, it focuses on understanding the impact of attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE), technology self-efficacy (TSE), entrepreneurial education (EE) and the role of business incubators (BIs) on these intentions. A self-administered questionnaire, constructed using Google Forms, was distributed electronically through social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp. Data were collected from 381 university students in Jordan. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. The results reveal that attitude, subjective norms, PBC and TSE have significant positive effects on Jordanian students’ DEIss, with attitude showing the strongest influence. However, ESE, EE and BIss were found to have no significant impact. This study contributes to the literature by examining the factors influencing university students’ DEIs through an integrated use of the theory of planned behavior, social cognitive theory and human capital theory. It extends existing research by providing a more comprehensive explanation of how behavioral, cognitive and contextual factors interact in shaping entrepreneurial intention in digital environments. The findings highlight that psychological and technology-related factors play a more prominent role compared to educational and institutional influences, offering a clearer explanation of the mixed results reported in prior studies. The study also provides a more practical understanding of the key determinants of DEIs, with implications for both theory development and higher education practice.