To examine the process of entrepreneurial identity and intent formation in higher education and to assess the contribution of enterprise and entrepreneurship education (EEE) as part of this process.
The study adopted a mixed-method, longitudinal research design. An e-survey (n = 145) obtained baseline data on entrepreneurial intentions and identity at the start of a group of undergraduate students’ first academic year. Based on an ideal-typical sampling strategy, 18 students completed fortnightly diary entries over the course of the academic year.
In-year fluctuations in and between entrepreneurial identity and intent scores were pronounced. This challenges perceptions of an uncomplicated, linear relationship between both constructs. Explaining these fluctuations, two types of developmental trajectory were identified: “convergence,” whereby identity and intent scores came closer together as the year progressed, and “synchronicity,” whereby scores fell and rose in tandem. The contribution of EEE, although overall positive in relation to an increase in identity and intent scores, was mitigated by a challenging career-developmental setting, adding to calls for a more contextual understanding of the impact of EEE.
A limited number of studies have examined the development of entrepreneurial identity or intent using a longitudinal design, with none seeking to explain their co-development over time. The adopted longitudinal design has achieved a more detailed understanding of the shaping of entrepreneurial identity and intent and the role of EEE in this process.
