Entrepreneurial intent in a transitional economy: an application of the theory of planned behavior to Romanian students

This study examines entrepreneurial intent in Romanian students using the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, Adv. Exp. Soc. Psychol., 20:1–63, 1987). Using multiple regression analyses to test for mediation, we analyzed survey data from 324 Romanian students. Some of our findings were consistent with the Theory of Planned Behavior, while others were not. As expected, we found that self-efficacy and the desirabilities associated with creating a venture were positively related to entrepreneurial intent. However, surprisingly, we found that the more supportive the students’ referents were, the less likely the students were to have intentions of starting a business.