Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

The Influence of Innovation and Leadership. Aptitudes on Students’ Entrepreneurial Intentions and the Impact of Innovation and Leadership on Future Career Anxiety Post COVID-19

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Innovations for Healthcare and Wellbeing

Part of the book series: Contributions to Management Science ((MANAGEMENT SC.))

Abstract

The current economic crisis and the COVID-19 have had severe consequences on individuals that lost their job and got anxious on career. The uncertainty on the future and career anxiety may have a negative impact on the future career decisions-making and entrepreneurial intentions.

Entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship in particular, can not only contribute to the creation of healthier societies by enhancing quality of life (Zahra & Wright, 2016) and human well-being but also increase career anxiety.

We addressed the possibility that the students’ aptitudes such as innovation and leadership may have a positive impact on entrepreneurial intentions, whereas students’ future career anxiety is negatively related with entrepreneurial intentions.

A total of 709 Italian university students completed an online questionnaire composed by the constructs considered in this study. Results in the multivariate linear regression analyses partially supported our hypotheses: both leadership and innovation aptitudes positively affect students’ entrepreneurial intentions. However, we did not find a negative association between future career anxiety and entrepreneurial intentions. Further, the results show that entrepreneurial competences acquired during university studies positively affect students’ entrepreneurial intentions.

As implications, teachers and educators should stimulate students’ entrepreneurial aptitudes to promote entrepreneurship and specifically innovation and leadership aptitudes. In addition, more competences related to entrepreneurship should be delivered to students. This may also contribute to stimulate their entrepreneurial aptitudes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ambad, S. N. A., & Damit, D. H. D. A. (2016). Determinants of entrepreneurial intention among undergraduate students in Malaysia. Procedia Economics and Finance, 37, 108–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychological Association, APA. (2009). Concise dictionary of psychology. American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Antonakis, J., & Autio, E. (2007). Entrepreneurship and leadership. In J. R. Baum, M. Frese, & R. Baron (Eds.), The psychology of entrepreneurship (pp. 189–207).

    Google Scholar 

  • Autio, E., Keeley, H., & R., Klofsten, M., GC Parker, G., & Hay, M. (2001). Entrepreneurial intent among students in Scandinavia and in the USA. Enterprise and Innovation Management Studies, 2(2), 145–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banerjee, D. (2020). The Covid-19 outbreak: Crucial role the psychiatrists can play. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 50, 102014.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barba-Sãnchez, V., & Atienza-Sahuquillo, C. (2018). Entrepreneurial intention among engineering students: The role of entrepreneurship education. European Research on Management and Business Economics, 24(1), 53–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baum, J. R., Frese, M., & Baron, R. (2007). The psychology of entrepreneurship. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Block, J. H., Fisch, C. O., & Van Praag, M. (2017). The Schumpeterian entrepreneur: A review of the empirical evidence on the antecedents, behaviour and consequences of innovative entrepreneurship. Industry and Innovation, 24(1), 61–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Botezat, E. A., Constăngioară, A., Dodescu, A. O., & Pop-Cohuţ, I. C. (2022). How stable are students’ entrepreneurial intentions in the COVID-19 pandemic context? Sustainability, 14(9), 5690.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, R., & Rocha, A. (2020). Entrepreneurial uncertainty during the Covid-19 crisis: Mapping the temporal dynamics of entrepreneurial finance. Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 14, e00174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cardon, M. S., Wincent, J., Singh, J., & Drnovsek, M. (2009). The nature and experience of entrepreneurial passion. Academy of Management Review, 34(3), 511–532.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cater, J. J., III, Young, M., Al-Shammari, M., & James, K. (2021). Drivers of entrepreneurial intentions in the context of the covid-19 pandemic. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 21(11), 124–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang, F. C. (2011). Development difficulties and coping strategies of teacher education university. Journal of Education Research, 211, 40–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, W. Y., Weng, C. S., & Hsu, H. Y. (2010). A study of the entrepreneurship of Taiwanese youth by the Chinese entrepreneur aptitude scale. Journal of Technology management in China., 5, 26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costin, Y., O’Brien, M. P., & Hynes, B. (2022). Entrepreneurial education: Maker or breaker in developing students’ entrepreneurial confidence, aptitude and self-efficacy? Industry and Higher Education, 36(3), 267–278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cubico, S., Bortolani, E., Cubico, A., & Favretto, G. (2008). Entrepreneurial choice: Aptitudes, motivations and behavior. In Proceeding of the world meeting 2008 of IAREP—The International Association for Research in Economic Psychology and SABE—The Society for Advancement of Behavioral Economics, 3–6 September, Luiss University Press, Roma, Italy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cubico, S., Bortolani, E., Favretto, G., & Sartori, R. (2010). Describing the entrepreneurial profile: The entrepreneurial aptitude test (Tai). International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 11(4), 424–435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donaldson, C. (2019). Intentions resurrected: A systematic review of entrepreneurial intention research from 2014 to 2018 and future research agenda. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 15(3), 953–975.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doshi, H., Kumar, P., & Yerramilli, V. (2018). Uncertainty, capital investment, and risk management. Management Science, 64(12), 5769–5786.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drucker, P. F. (1998). The discipline of innovation. Harvard Business Review, 76(6), 149–157.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drucker, P. F. (2002). “The discipline of innovation”, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 80 No. 8. Economic Review, 9(3), 7–23. https://doi.org/10.15678/EBER.2021.090301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Favretto, G., Pasini, M., & Sartori, R. (2003). Attitudine imprenditoriale e misura psicometrica: il TAI. Risorsa Uomo, 9(3–4), 271–282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Favretto, G., Cubico, S., & Sartori, R. (2007a). Passaggio generazionale e potenziale imprenditoriale: senior e junior a confronto. Studio su un gruppo di piccole imprese. Risorsa Uomo, 13(1), 51–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Favretto, G., Cubico, S., & Sartori, R. (2007b). Generational transition and entrepreneurial profiles: Senior in comparison with junior. A survey in a group of small sized businesses. In Paper presented at the XIII European congress on European work and organizational psychology, 9–12 May, Stockholm, Sweden.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feng, B., & Chen, M. (2020). The impact of entrepreneurial passion on psychology and behavior of entrepreneurs. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1733.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fragoso, R., Rocha-Junior, W., & Xavier, A. (2020). Determinant factors of entrepreneurial intention among university students in Brazil and Portugal. Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 32(1), 33–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fritsch, M., & Müller, P. (2004). Effects of new business formation on regional development over time. Regional Studies, 38(8), 961–975.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galindo, M. Á., & Méndez-Picazo, M. T. (2013). Innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth. Management Decision, 51(3), 501–514.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gieure, C., del Mar Benavides-Espinosa, M., & Roig-Dobón, S. (2019). Entrepreneurial intentions in an international university environment. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 25, 1605.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorgievski, M. J., Bakker, A. B., Schaufeli, W. B., van der Veen, H. B., & Giesen, C. W. (2010). Financial problems and psychological distress: Investigating reciprocal effects among business owners. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 83(2), 513–530.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, V., MacMillan, I. C., & Surie, G. (2004). Entrepreneurial leadership: Developing and measuring a cross-cultural construct. Journal of Business Venturing, 19(2), 241–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harren, V. A. (1979). A model of career decision making for college students. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 14(2), 119–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hernández-Sánchez, B. R., Cardella, G. M., & Sánchez-García, J. C. (2020). Psychological Factors that Lessen the Impact of COVID-19 on the Self-Employment Intention of Business Administration and Economics’ Students from Latin America. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 17(15):5293. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17155293

  • Henley, A., Contreras, F., Espinosa, J. C., & Barbosa, D. (2017). Entrepreneurial intentions of Colombian business students: Planned behaviour, leadership skills and social capital. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 23(6), 1017–1032.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kansikas, J., Laakkonen, A., Sarpo, V., & Kontinen, T. (2012). Entrepreneurial leadership and familiness as resources for strategic entrepreneurship. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 18(2), 141–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krichen, K. & Chaabouni, H. (2022). Entrepreneurial intention of academic students in the time of COVID-19 pandemic, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 29(1), 106–126. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-03-2021-0110

  • Krueger, N. F., Reilly, M. D., & Carsrud, A. I. (2000). Competing models of entrepreneurial intentions. Journal of Business Venturing, 15(5/6), 411–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuckertz, A., & Wagner, M. (2010). The influence of sustainability orientation on entrepreneurial intentions—Investigating the role of business experience. Journal of Business Venturing, 25(5), 524–539.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuckertz, A., Brändle, L., Gaudig, A., Hinderer, S., Morales Reyes, C., Prochotta, A., Steinbrink, K., & Berger, E. (2020). Startups in times of crisis – A rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 13, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbvi.2020.e00169

  • Küttim, M., Kallaste, M., Venesaar, U., & Kiis, A. (2014). Entrepreneurship education at university level and students’ entrepreneurial intentions. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 110, 658–668.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, S., Florida, R., & Acs, Z. (2004). Creativity and entrepreneurship: A regional analysis of new firm formation. Regional Studies, 38(8), 879–891.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liñàn, F. (2008). Skill and Value Perceptions: How Do They Affect Entrepreneurial Intentions? International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 4, 257–272. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-008-0093-0

  • Liñàn, F., & Fayolle, A. (2015). A systematic literature review on entrepreneurial intentions: Citations, thematic analyses and research agenda. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 11, 907–933.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loan, L. T., Doanh, D. C., Thang, H. N., Viet Nga, N. T., Van, P. T., & Hoa, P. T. (2021). Entrepreneurial behaviour: The effects of fear and anxiety of Covid-19 and business opportunity recognition. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 9(3), 7–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lopes, J. M., Gomes, S., Santos, T., Oliveira, M., & Oliveira, J. (2021). Entrepreneurial intention before and during Covid-19—A case study on Portuguese university students. Education Sciences, 11(6), 273.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lüthje, C., & Franke, N. (2003). The ‘making’ of an entrepreneur: Testing a model of entrepreneurial intent among engineering students at Mit. R&D Management, 33(2), 135–147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madrigal, B. E., Arechavala, R., & Madrigal, R. (2012). El emprendedor y su capital social: Caso el clúster del software en Jalisco (the entrepreneur and social capital: The Jalisco software cluster) (2012). Revista International Administración and Finanzas, 5(4), 107–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maheshwari, G., Kha, K. L., & Arokiasamy, A. R. A. (2022). Factors affecting students’ entrepreneurial intentions: A systematic review (2005–2022) for future directions in theory and practice. Management Review Quarterly, 73, 1903. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-022-00289-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahmud, S., Talukder, M. U., & Rahman, M. (2020). Does ‘fear of Covid-19’ trigger future career anxiety? An empirical investigation considering depression from Covid-19 as a mediator. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 67, 35–45. King’s College London.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, OECD. (2020). Focus on The Global Economy, Available At: Http://Www.Oecd.Org/Coronavirus/En/Themes/Global-Economy, pp. 95–101.

  • Rauch, A., & Frese, M. (2007). Let’s put the person back into entrepreneurship research: a meta-analysis on the relationship between business owners’ personality traits, business creation, and success. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 16(4), 353–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schaltegger, S., & Wagner, M. (2011). Sustainable entrepreneurship and sustainability innovation: Categories and interactions. Business Strategy and the Environment, 20(4), 222–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheidgen, K., Gümüsay, A. A., Günzel-Jensen, F., Krlev, G., & Wolf, M. (2021). Crises and entrepreneurial opportunities: Digital social innovation in response to physical distancing. Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 15, e00222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbvi.2020.e00222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma, G. D., Kraus, S., Liguori, E., Bamel, U. K., & Chopra, R. (2022). Entrepreneurial challenges of COVID-19: Re-thinking entrepreneurship after the crisis. Journal of Small Business Management, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/00472778.2022.2089676

  • Silzer, R., & Church, A. H. (2009). The pearls and perils of identifying potential. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2, 377–412.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Souitaris, V., Zerbinati, S., & Al-Laham, A. (2007). Do entrepreneurship programmes raise entrepreneurial intention of science and engineering students? The effect of learning, inspiration and resources. Journal of Business Venturing, 22, 566–591.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • St. Jean, E., & Labelle, F. (2018). Wanting to change the world, is it too much of a good thing? How sustainable orientation shapes entrepreneurial behaviour. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 24(6), 1075–1086.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steele, G. R. (2004). Understanding economic man. Psychology, rationality, and values. The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 63(5), 1021–1055.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stemler, S. E., & Sternberg, R. J. (2013). The assessment of aptitude. In K. Geisinger, B. Bracken, J. Carlson, J. Hansen, & N. Kuncel (Eds.), APA handbook of testing and assessment in psychology, Vol. 3: Testing and assessment in school psychology and education (pp. 281–296). American Psychological Association.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Stephan, U., Zbierowski, P., & Hanard, P-J. (2020). Entrepreneurship and Covid-19: Challenges and opportunities.

    Google Scholar 

  • Super, D. E. (1980). A life-span, life-space approach to career development. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 16(3), 282–298.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tang, L., & Koveos, P. E. (2004). Venture entrepreneurship, innovation entrepreneurship, and economic growth. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 9(2), 161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsai, C. T., Hsu, H., & Hsu, Y. C. (2017). Tourism and hospitality college students’ career anxiety: Scale development and validation. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, 29(4), 158–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vecchio, R. P. (2003). Entrepreneurship and leadership: Common trends and common threads. Human Resource Management Review, 13(2), 303–327.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Von Graevenitz, G., Harhoff, D., & Weber, R. (2010). The effects of entrepreneurship education. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 76(1), 90–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vuorio, A. M., Puumalainen, K., & Fellnhofer, K. (2018). Drivers of entrepreneurial intentions in sustainable entrepreneurship. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 24(2), 359–381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wagner, M. (2012). Ventures for the public good and entrepreneurial intentions: An empirical analysis of sustainability orientation as a determining factor. Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 25(4), 519–531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zahra, S. A. (2021). International entrepreneurship in the post Covid world. Journal of World Business, 56(1), 101143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zahra, S. A. & Wright, M. (2016). Understanding the Social Role of Entrepreneurship. Journal of Management Studies, 53(4), 610–629. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12149

  • Zhao, H., & Seibert, S. E. (2006). The big five personality dimensions and entrepreneurial status: A meta-analytical review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(2), 259–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, H., Seibert, S. E., & Hills, G. E. (2005). The mediating role of self-efficacy in the development of entrepreneurial intentions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(6), 1265–1272.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, N., Zhang, D., Wang, W., Li, X., Yang, B., Song, J., Zhao, X., Huang, B., Shi, W., Lu, R., Niu, P., Zhan, F., Ma, X., Wang, D., Xu, W., Wu, G., Ga, G., & Tan, W. (2019). A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China. New England Journal of Medicine, 382(2020), 8. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2001017

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Business Administration, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

    Piermatteo Ardolino

  2. Department of Management, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy

    Rossella Baratta

  3. Faculty of Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

    Diego Bellini

  4. Department of Management, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

    Serena Cubico

  5. University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal

    Joao Leitao

Authors
  1. Piermatteo Ardolino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rossella Baratta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Diego Bellini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Serena Cubico
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Joao Leitao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joao Leitao .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Almazov National Medical Research Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    Evgeny Schlyakhto

  2. School of Business Engineering, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Igor Ilin

  3. Atlantica Insituto Universario, Barcarena, Portugal

    Tessaleno Devezas

  4. University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal

    João Carlos Correia Leitão

  5. University of Verona, Verona, Italy

    Serena Cubico

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Ardolino, P., Baratta, R., Bellini, D., Cubico, S., Leitao, J. (2024). The Influence of Innovation and Leadership. Aptitudes on Students’ Entrepreneurial Intentions and the Impact of Innovation and Leadership on Future Career Anxiety Post COVID-19. In: Schlyakhto, E., Ilin, I., Devezas, T., Correia Leitão, J.C., Cubico, S. (eds) Innovations for Healthcare and Wellbeing. Contributions to Management Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53614-4_24

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics