Understanding the role of perceived drivers and barriers in shaping entrepreneurial intentions: the mediating effect of perceived value among higher education students

Entrepreneurial Intention (EI) among higher education students in developing countries, such as India, remains low despite the proliferation of entrepreneurship education and government support for start-up initiatives. Traditional models often analyze drivers and barriers independently. This research extends the Value Based Adoption Model (VAM) to career decisions, investigating how students integrate perceived benefits (drivers) and sacrifices (barriers) through the mediating variable of Perceived Value (PV) to form entrepreneurial intentions.

Why it matters

Understanding the mechanisms that shape entrepreneurial intentions is critical for fostering economic growth and innovation in developing regions. Identifying the interplay between perceived drivers, barriers, and overall value perception can inform more effective strategies for cultivating a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem and talent pipeline.

Key insights

• Entrepreneurial Intention (EI) among higher education students in developing countries (e.g., India) is low.
• This low EI persists despite growth in entrepreneurship education and government support for start-up initiatives.
• Existing models frequently study entrepreneurial motivation and perceived barriers in isolation.
• The study aims to explore the integrative value-formation mechanism, specifically how perceived drivers and barriers are linked to influence intention.
• The research extends the Value Based Adoption Model (VAM) to the domain of career decisions.
• It examines the mediating effect of Perceived Value (PV) in how students cognitively integrate perceived benefits (drivers) and sacrifices (barriers) to develop entrepreneurial intentions.

Source

Frontiers in Education — https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1901776