Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Cities

This study analyzes the effect of the university ecosystem, self-efficacy of the students, social entrepreneurial perception of the entrepreneur on the social entrepreneurial intention. Second-generation structural equation method (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the results, specifically, the SmartPLS 3.2.7 software applied to data on 6425 Peruvian university students. The validity of an explanatory model of entrepreneurial intention was evaluated based on personal and situational determinants. The main contribution of this study is to show that 63% of students had an intention of social entrepreneurship; no significant differences were found in the sex of the students with respect to the intention of entrepreneurship. Only 18% were participating in a social enterprise. It was evidenced that the entrepreneurial support provided by the university ecosystem does not directly influence the social entrepreneurial intention (β = 0.038, p = 0.001), nor in the self-efficacy developed by the students (β = −0.045, p = 0.551). However, it directly influences the entrepreneurial orientation (β = −0.185, p = 0.001) and the positive perception of the social entrepreneur (β = −0.241, p = 0.001). Through these variables (which assume a mediating role), the university ecosystem exerts an indirect influence on self-efficacy and later on entrepreneurial intention. The results are useful to design models of development of social enterprises in the universities taking into account all the factors reported as important by the students.