Personal values and planned behavior in entrepreneurial intention: An analysis in college students

This study examines the combined influence of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) components—attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control—and personal values on entrepreneurial intention among university students from a public institution in Ecuador’s Amazon region. Adopting a quantitative, cross-sectional design, and using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), data were collected from 297 students. The findings reveal that attitude and perceived behavioral control significantly and positively influence entrepreneurial intention, whereas subjective norms and personal values show no significant effect. These results contribute to the theoretical literature by questioning the universality of the TPB model in emerging economies and highlight the importance of contextual factors in value-driven behavior. From a practical perspective, the study suggests that entrepreneurship education programs should focus on strengthening students’ self-efficacy and positive entrepreneurial attitudes through experiential learning and applied training.