The Effect of Attitude, Subjective Norm, and Behavioral Control on High School Students' Entrepreneurial Intention with Strategic Thinking as a Moderation

Abstract

Purpose: It's been hoped that skilled entrepreneurs will emerge from college graduates. In reality, most college graduates prefer to look for jobs rather than become entrepreneurs. Although various surveys indicate a high level of entrepreneurial intention among college students, most graduates fail to realize this desire upon graduation. This phenomenon has prompted the need to identify entrepreneurial intention at an earlier age, specifically among high school students and their equivalents. This study was conducted to examine the influence of the elements of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), consisting of attitudes, subjective norm, and behavioral control, on entrepreneurial intention among high school students who are expected to become excellent entrepreneurs in the future. There is also a strategic thinking variable as a moderator of the influence of the variables of attitude, subjective norms, and behavioral control, on entrepreneurial intention.

Design/methodology/approach: Data analysis was carried out using the partial least square (PLS) technique which was run with the help of the SmartPLS application version 3.2.9.

Findings: The population of this study were high school students in Surabaya and its surrounding areas. The results from the sample of that population (n = 133) showed that of the elements of the TPB model, only the behavioral control was proven to significantly influence the entrepreneurial intention of high school students. All moderating effects of the strategic thinking were also not proven significant. However, it was found that strategic thinking itself independently had a significant influence on entrepreneurial intention.

Research limitations/implications: This research was conducted in a relatively short time and the sample size was not too large, although it exceeded the minimum number of respondents considered suitable for data analysis. Further research is needed to explore various variables that can more strongly link the TPB model to the formation of entrepreneurial intention, both through mediation and moderation.

Practical implications: Various educational institutions, particularly high schools, need to adopt models for developing positive behavioral control and strategic thinking competencies in their entrepreneurship-oriented curriculum.   

Originality/value: So far, no other research has been found that examines the moderating effect of strategic thinking in the model of forming entrepreneurial intention, especially among high school students.

Paper type: Research paper

Keyword: Attitude, Behavioral Control, Entrepreneurial Intention, High School Students, Strategic Thinking, Subjective Norm.