Entrepreneurial practices towards entrepreneurial intentions from Chinese vocational college students: a mediation-moderation model

PurposeThe entrepreneurial ecosystem within Chinese vocational colleges offers a unique platform to investigate the interplay between entrepreneurial passion, education and intention. This study aims to assess the effect of entrepreneurial education on alertness, passion and mindset, in turn, on entrepreneurial orientation and intentions. In addition, the study examines the mediating role of the entrepreneurial mindset between entrepreneurial passion and education; and to identify the moderating effect of entrepreneurial self-efficacy between entrepreneurial orientation and intentions.Design/methodology/approachUsing a cross-sectional methodology based on self-reported data from students across various Chinese vocational colleges, the study used a quantitative method to derive its findings.FindingsThe results highlighted a strong positive effect of entrepreneurial education on passion, mindset and alertness. The study also found that an increased emphasis on entrepreneurial education fostered a proactive entrepreneurial orientation, a significant predictor of entrepreneurial intentions. The entrepreneurial mindset played a pivotal mediating role, enhancing the direct effects observed. Moreover, students with higher entrepreneurial self-efficacy exhibited a more substantial inclination towards entrepreneurial intentions, further buttressed by their orientation.Originality/valueThis study underscores the critical role of fostering passion, education and self-efficacy in cultivating entrepreneurial intentions among students in Chinese vocational colleges, offering valuable theoretical and managerial implications for educators and policymakers alike.