Abstract:

This study investigates the digital entrepreneurial behavior tendency of Chinese graduate students, focusing on how individual, educational, and contextual factors shape their intention to engage in digital entrepreneurship. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991) and established entrepreneurial intention research (Fayolle & Liñán, 2014), the study examines how attitudes toward digital entrepreneurship, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, and digital self-efficacy predict students’ digital entrepreneurial behavior tendency. The study is further informed by emerging scholarship on digital entrepreneurship and technology-enabled venture creation (Nambisan, 2017). A cross-sectional survey was administered to Chinese graduate students, using a structured questionnaire that integrated validated entrepreneurial intention scales (Liñán & Chen, 2009) and exposure to entrepreneurship education (Wei et al., 2019).

Preliminary results suggest that Chinese graduate students show generally positive attitudes toward digital entrepreneurship, viewing it as a flexible and innovation-oriented career path aligned with the national “entrepreneurship and innovation” agenda. Perceived behavioral control—particularly confidence in using digital tools —emerges as a strong predictor of digital entrepreneurial intention, consistent with the TPB mechanism. Subjective norms, including support from family, peers, and supervisors, also significantly shape intentions. Furthermore, participation in university-level entrepreneurship courses, and digital skills training is positively associated with stronger digital entrepreneurial behavior tendencies.

The study contributes to the emerging literature on digital entrepreneurship in higher education by specifying how digital competencies and learning environments interact with entrepreneurial intention constructs in the Chinese context. It offers implications for universities and policymakers aiming to design integrated curricula and support systems that foster entrepreneurial mindsets and digital capabilities. Based on the findings, the paper recommends strengthening practice-oriented digital entrepreneurship education, building university–platform partnerships, and providing targeted support for graduate students who wish to test and scale digital business ideas (Zhang et al., 2014).

References:
[1] Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211.
[2] Fayolle, A., & Liñán, F. (2014). The future of research on entrepreneurial intentions. Journal of Business Research, 67(5), 663–666.
[3] Liñán, F., & Chen, Y.-W. (2009). Development and cross–cultural application of a specific instrument to measure entrepreneurial intentions. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 33(3), 593–617.
[4] Nambisan, S. (2017). Digital entrepreneurship: Toward a digital technology perspective of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 41(6), 1029–1055.
[5] Wei X, Liu X and Sha J (2019) How Does the Entrepreneurship Education Influence the Students’ Innovation? Testing on the Multiple Mediation Model. Frontiers in Psychology. 10:1557.
[6] Zhang, Y., Duysters, G. M., & Cloodt, M. M. A. H. (2014). The role of entrepreneurship education as a predictor of university students’ entrepreneurial intention. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 10(3), 623-641.

Keywords:

Digital entrepreneurship, behavior tendencies, graduate students, entrepreneurship education.