HUMAN CAPITAL, ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION, AND INNOVATION CAPABILITY: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE ON THE MEDIATING MECHANISM OF FIRM PERFORMANCE IN CHINESE SMES

Abstract

This empirical paper takes 400 fourth-year undergraduates of Chengdu University of Technology as the research sample, and uses SPSS 26.0 and SmartPLS 3.0 to empirically test the influence mechanism of digital self-efficacy on college students’ entrepreneurial intention based on the quantitative research design of questionnaire survey. The results show that: (1) Digital self-efficacy has a significant direct positive impact on college students’ entrepreneurial intention (β=0.272, p<0.001); (2) Digital self-efficacy has an extremely significant positive driving effect on entrepreneurial learning (β=0.899, p<0.001) and risk tolerance (β=0.900, p<0.001); (3) Entrepreneurial learning (β=0.393, p<0.001) and risk tolerance (β=0.320, p<0.001) both have a significant positive impact on college students’ entrepreneurial intention; (4) Entrepreneurial learning (indirect effect=0.353, p<0.001) and risk tolerance (indirect effect=0.288, p<0.001) play a significant dual parallel mediating role in the relationship between digital self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intention, and the mediating effect accounts for 70.2% of the total effect (0.913). The research results confirm the theoretical framework of digital self-efficacy driving entrepreneurial intention through capability building and psychological empowerment, and provide empirical evidence for college entrepreneurship education and regional digital entrepreneurship development. Based on the research results, this paper puts forward targeted suggestions from the perspectives of universities, government, families and individual students, aiming to enhance college students’ digital self-efficacy, stimulate entrepreneurial learning and cultivate risk tolerance, and further promote the transformation of college students’ entrepreneurial intention into actual entrepreneurial behavior.