Reviewing the Mediating Role of Cognitive Style in the Relationship between Human Capital and Entrepreneurial Intention: The Case of MA Students of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of Tehran University

Moradi, Mohammad Ali; Zali, Mohammad Reza; Mohammadi, Fariba

doi:10.22059/jed.2014.51558

Reviewing the Mediating Role of Cognitive Style in the Relationship between Human Capital and Entrepreneurial Intention: The Case of MA Students of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of Tehran University

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Mohammad Ali Moradi ¹

Mohammad Reza Zali ¹

Fariba Mohammadi ²

¹ Assistant Professor, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

² MA., Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jed.2014.51558

Abstract

The increase in the number of university graduates, especially at MA level, in the recent years on one hand and the disproportionate growth of employment on the other hand, has made graduates unemployment one of the major challenges of the country. Most students prefer to be employed, while employment capacity in society and increase in the number of students do not match closely. Entrepreneurship is one of the ways to create employment; and intention is the best predictor of any behavior including entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial intention is influenced by different factors, including human capital. The present study tries to investigate the effect of human capital on entrepreneurial intention through mediator variables as well as intuitive and rational styles. In this study, psychological capital and individual variables were regarded as control variables. The participants of the study incorporate the MA students of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of Tehran University. 140 questionnaires were randomly distributed among them. This is an applied and quantitative research regarding the purpose and methodology of the research. The research yielded the result that human capital (education and experience) has a significant effect on entrepreneurial intention. It was also proved that psychological capital and individual variables influence intention through cognitive style, while education and experience influence entrepreneurial intention through rational and intuitive styles, respectively.

Keywords

cognitive style

Entrepreneurial Intention

Human capital

Psychological capital