How Do University Students Navigate Entrepreneurial Intention? Insight and Trends from Bibliometric Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69980/jaes.v22i1s.192Keywords:
Entrepreneurial intention, University students, Bibliometric analysis, Entrepreneurship education, VOSviewerAbstract
This paper will offer a bibliometric review of the literature on entrepreneurial intention among university students. The study uses a dataset of 942 Scopus-indexed articles published between 2016 and 2025 to analyse trends in publications, leading authors, institutions, journals, and countries and important thematic changes in the area. VOSviewer and RStudio were used to carry out bibliometric methods like co-citation analysis, keyword co-occurrence, bibliographic coupling and thematic mapping. The results show that the volume of research has increased significantly, and the highest number is found in 2025. The International Journal of Management Education became the most popular source, and Duong c.d was the most fruitful author. The greatest country and institutional contributors were Spain and the National Economics University, respectively. The analysis points out the prevalent themes, namely the entrepreneurship education, self-efficacy, the theory of planned behaviour, and the emerging ones, including sustainable, social, and digital entrepreneurship. The findings also affirm some conformity to the Law of Bradford, and the Law of Lotka shows that a few authors make a lot of contributions to the discipline. The research offers great insights into the intellectual framework and development of the study of entrepreneurial intention, which can guide future research and policy formulation.
References
1. Abbasianchavari, A., & Moritz, A. (2020). The impact of role models on entrepreneurial intentions and behavior: A review of the literature. Management Review Quarterly, 71(1), 1–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-019-00179-0
2. Adam, A. F., & Fayolle, A. (2015). Bridging the entrepreneurial intention–behaviour gap: The role of commitment and implementation intention. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 25(1), 36–54. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJESB.2015.068775
3. Adeel, S., Daniel, A. D., & Botelho, A. (2023). The effect of entrepreneurship education on the determinants of entrepreneurial behaviour among higher education students: A multi-group analysis. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 8(1), 100324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2023.100324
4. Adekiya, A. A., & Ibrahim, F. (2016). Entrepreneurship intention among students: The antecedent role of culture and entrepreneurship training and development. The International Journal of Management Education, 14(2), 116–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2016.03.001
5. Adeoye, R. I., Okaiyeto, K., & Oguntibeju, O. O. (2023). Global mapping of research outputs on nanoparticles with peroxidase mimetic activity from 2010–2019. Inorganic and Nano-Metal Chemistry, 53(2), 199–211. https://doi.org/10.1080/24701556.2021.2020841
6. Agu, A. G. (2021). A survey of business and science students’ intentions to engage in sustainable entrepreneurship. Small Enterprise Research, 28(2), 206–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/13215906.2021.1919914
7. Ahmed, T., Chandran, V. G. R., & Klobas, J. (2017). Specialized entrepreneurship education: Does it really matter? Fresh evidence from Pakistan. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 23(1), 4–19. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-01-2016-0005
8. Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
9. Ajzen, I., Czasch, C., & Flood, M. G. (2009). From intentions to behavior: Implementation intention, commitment, and conscientiousness. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 39(6), 1356–1372. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2009.00485.x
10. Al-Jubari, I., Hassan, A., & Liñán, F. (2019). Entrepreneurial intention among university students in Malaysia: Integrating self-determination theory and the theory of planned behavior. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 15(4), 1323–1342. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-018-0529-0
11. Anand, A., Argade, P., Barkemeyer, R., & Salignac, F. (2021). Trends and patterns in sustainable entrepreneurship research: A bibliometric review and research agenda. Journal of Business Venturing, 36(3), 106092. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2021.106092
12. Anjum, T., Farrukh, M., Heidler, P., & Tautiva, J. A. D. (2021). Entrepreneurial intention: Creativity, entrepreneurship, and university support. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 7(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc7010011
13. Bacq, S., & Alt, E. (2018). Feeling capable and valued: A prosocial perspective on the link between empathy and social entrepreneurial intentions. Journal of Business Venturing, 33(3), 333–350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2018.01.004
14. Benavides Velasco, C. A., Guzmán Parra, V. F., & García, C. Q. (2011). Evolución de la literatura sobre empresa familiar como disciplina científica. Cuadernos de Economía y Dirección de la Empresa, 14(2), 78–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cede.2011.02.004
15. Bird, B. (1988). Implementing entrepreneurial ideas: The case for intention. Academy of Management Review, 13(3), 442–453. https://doi.org/10.2307/258091
16. Bogatyreva, K., Edelman, L. F., Manolova, T. S., Osiyevskyy, O., & Shirokova, G. (2019). When do entrepreneurial intentions lead to actions? The role of national culture. Journal of Business Research, 96, 309–321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.11.034
17. Callon, M., Courtial, J. P., & Laville, F. (1991). Co-word analysis as a tool for describing the network of interactions between basic and technological research: The case of polymer chemistry. Scientometrics, 22(1), 155–205. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02019280
18. Chadha, P., Upadhaya, G., & Devi, N. (2025). Exploring the nexus of personality traits, self-efficacy, and entrepreneurial intention: A study of university students. International Journal of Management Education, 23(2), Article 101136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2025.101136
19. Choi, J., Kwon, O. H., & Lee, K. (2011). Strata treemaps. In ACM SIGGRAPH 2011 Posters. https://doi.org/10.1145/2037715.2037813
20. Comerio, N., & Strozzi, F. (2019). Tourism and its economic impact: A literature review using bibliometric tools. Tourism Economics, 25(1), 109–131. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816618793762
21. De Bakker, F. G. A., Groenewegen, P., & Den Hond, F. (2005). A bibliometric analysis of 30 years of research and theory on corporate social responsibility and corporate social performance. Business & Society, 44(3), 283–317. https://doi.org/10.1177/0007650305278086
22. Dolhey, S. (2019). A bibliometric analysis of research on entrepreneurial intentions from 2000 to 2018. Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, 21(2), 180–199. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRME-02-2019-0015
23. 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. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-019-00578-5
24. Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070
25. Elnadi, M., & Gheith, M. H. (2021). Entrepreneurial ecosystem, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and entrepreneurial intention in higher education: Evidence from Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Management Education, 19(1), Article 100458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2021.100458
26. Farooq, O., Satt, H., & Ramid, S. (2019). Gender difference and informal competition: Evidence from India. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 26(1), 2–17. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-01-2018-0010
27. Garcez, A., Franco, M., & Silva, R. (2025). The influence of the pillars of digital academic entrepreneurship on university students’ entrepreneurial intention. European Journal of Innovation Management, 28(2), 210–234. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-01-2023-0051
28. Ghouse, S. M., Chaudhary, M., & Garg, S. (2018). Importance of non-technical skills for employment opportunities: A gap analysis of students’ and employers’ perceptions. In Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Contemporary Computing (IC3 2018). https://doi.org/10.1109/IC3.2018.8530663
29. Gieure, C., Benavides-Espinosa, M. D. M., & Roig-Dobón, S. (2019). Entrepreneurial intentions in an international university environment. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 25(8), 1605–1620. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-12-2018-0810
30. Gieure, C., Benavides-Espinosa, M. del M., & Roig-Dobón, S. (2020). The entrepreneurial process: The link between intentions and behavior. Journal of Business Research, 112, 541–548. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.11.088
31. Haj Youssef, M., Sayour, N., Valaei, N., Hussein, H., & Harakeh, M. (2025). The impact of Big Five personality traits on entrepreneurial orientation. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 38(1–2), 185–209. https://doi.org/10.1080/08985626.2025.2570320
32. Hueso, J. A., Jaén, I., & Liñán, F. (2021). From personal values to entrepreneurial intention: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 27(1), 205–230. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-06-2020-0383
33. Hutasuhut, S., Aditia, R., & Thamrin. (2024). The mediating role of entrepreneurial orientation: The impact of entrepreneurship education and patriarchal culture on entrepreneurial intention among Indonesian university students. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1), Article 2369156. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2369156
34. Kaur, R., & Kaur, S. (2026). A bibliometric analysis of business angels and investment patterns. Journal of the International Council for Small Business. https://doi.org/10.1080/26437015.2025.2593861
35. Krueger, N. F., Mestwerdt, S., & Kickul, J. R. (2024). Entrepreneurial thinking: Rational vs. intuitive. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 25(5–6), 942–962. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIC-11-2023-0265
36. Krueger, N. F., Reilly, M. D., & Carsrud, A. L. (2000). Competing models of entrepreneurial intentions. Journal of Business Venturing, 15(5–6), 411–432. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-9026(98)00033-0
37. Lekmat, L., & Chelliah, J. (2014). What are the antecedents to creating sustainable corporate entrepreneurship in Thailand? Contemporary Management Research, 10(3). https://doi.org/10.7903/cmr.11741
38. Liberati, A., Altman, D. G., Tetzlaff, J., Mulrow, C., Gøtzsche, P. C., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Clarke, M., Devereaux, P. J., Kleijnen, J., & Moher, D. (2009). The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate healthcare interventions: Explanation and elaboration. BMJ, 339, b2700. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.b2700
39. Liñán, F., & Chen, Y.-W. (2009). Development and cross-cultural application of a specific instrument to measure entrepreneurial intentions. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2009.00318.x
40. Liñán, F., & Chen, Y.-W. (2009). Development and cross-cultural application of a specific instrument to measure entrepreneurial intentions.
41. Liñán, F., & Fayolle, A. (2015). A systematic literature review on entrepreneurial intentions: Citation, thematic analyses, and research agenda. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 11(4), 907–933. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-015-0356-5
42. Lizano-Mora, H., Palos-Sanchez, P. R., & Aguayo-Camacho, M. (2021). The evolution of business process management: A bibliometric analysis. IEEE Access, 9, 51088–51105. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3066340
43. Maurya, S., Chaudhary, R., Kumar, A., Rangnekar, S., Cho, N., & Kim, G. M. (2026). Female entrepreneurship: A bibliometric analysis and framework development. Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 38(1), 26–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/08276331.2025.2542597
44. Munir, H., Jianfeng, C., & Ramzan, S. (2019). Personality traits and theory of planned behavior: Comparison of entrepreneurial intentions between an emerging economy and a developing country. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 25(3), 554–580. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-05-2018-0336
45. Neneh, B. N. (2022). Entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial intention: The role of social support and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Studies in Higher Education, 47(3), 587–603. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1770716
46. Nowiński, W., & Haddoud, M. Y. (2019). The role of inspiring role models in enhancing entrepreneurial intention. Journal of Business Research, 96, 183–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.11.005
47. Nowiński, W., Haddoud, M. Y., Lančarič, D., Egerová, D., & Czeglédi, C. (2019). The impact of entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and gender on entrepreneurial intentions of university students in the Visegrad countries. Studies in Higher Education, 44(2), 361–379. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2017.1365359
48. Nyoko, A. E. L., & Hanafiah, M. H. (2024). A systematic literature review on entrepreneurial intention: PRISMA method. In Proceedings (pp. 254–273). https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-411-2_21
49. Palmaccio, M., Dicuonzo, G., & Belyaeva, Z. S. (2021). The internet of things and corporate business models: A systematic literature review. Journal of Business Research, 131, 610–618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.09.069
50. Pandey, D. K., Dalwai, T., S., A., & Nguyen, T. H. (2025). CEO gender perspectives in climate and environmental governance: A systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis. Journal of Accounting Literature. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAL-08-2024-0223
51. Phuong, N. N. D., Van, Q. N. T., & Dung, N. D. (2020). The effect of perceived educational support, self-efficacy, and planned behavior predictors on entrepreneurial intention of Ho Chi Minh City university students. Ho Chi Minh City Open University Journal of Science: Economics and Business Administration, 10(1), 133–147. https://doi.org/10.46223/hcmcoujs.econ.en.10.1.226.2020
52. Rohanaraj, T. T. A. (2023). A systematic literature review on the transformation of entrepreneurial intention to entrepreneurial action. Economics: Innovative and Economics Research Journal, 11(S1), 121–139. https://doi.org/10.2478/eoik-2023-0063
53. Ruiz-Alba, J. L., Guzman-Parra, V. F., Vila Oblitas, J. R., & Morales Mediano, J. (2020). Entrepreneurial intentions: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 28(1), 121–133. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-07-2019-0221
54. Şahin, F., Karadağ, H., & Tuncer, B. (2019). Big five personality traits, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and entrepreneurial intention: A configurational approach. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 25(6), 1188–1211. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-07-2018-0466
55. 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(4), 566–591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2006.05.002
56. Su, Y., Zhu, Z., Chen, J., Jin, Y., Wang, T., Lin, C. L., & Xu, D. (2021). Factors influencing entrepreneurial intention of university students in China: Integrating the perceived university support and theory of planned behavior. Sustainability, 13(8), Article 4519. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084519
57. Tepe Gencay, G., Geyikci Burak Umut, & Sancak Mehmet Faith. (2022). FinTech companies: A bibliometric analysis. International Journal of Financial Studies. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijfs10010002
58. Valencia-Arias, A., Palacios-Moya, L., Londoño-Celis, W., & Ipaguirre Sanchez, K. (2024). Sustainable entrepreneurial intention: A research trends and agenda. Sustainable Environment, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2024.2362512
59. Vamvaka, V., Stoforos, C., Palaskas, T., & Botsaris, C. (2020). Attitude toward entrepreneurship, perceived behavioral control, and entrepreneurial intention: Dimensionality, structural relationships, and gender differences. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-020-0112-0
60. van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3
61. Veer, D. K., & Khiste, G. P. (2017). Digital library output in Scopus during 1995–2016: A bibliometric analysis. International Journal of Scientific Research in Computer Science, Engineering and Information Technology, 5(2), 2456–3307.
62. 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. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-03-2016-0097
63. Wang, X., You, X., Wang, H., Wang, B., Lai, W., & Su, N. (2023). The effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intention: Mediation of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and moderating role of psychological capital. Sustainability, 15(3), Article 32562. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032562
64. Wang, Y.-S., Dias, A., Jardim, J., & Yinghua, Y. (2022). A bibliometric analysis of college students’ entrepreneurial intention from 2000 to 2020: Research trends and hotspots. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 865629. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.865629
65. Xu, Z., Wang, X., Wang, X., & Skare, M. (2021). A comprehensive bibliometric analysis of entrepreneurship and crisis literature published from 1984 to 2020. Journal of Business Research, 135, 304–318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.06.051
66. Zhuang, J., Xiong, R., & Sun, H. (2022). Impact of personality traits on start-up preparation of Hong Kong youths. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 994814. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.994814



