Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurial intention scale: how to measure it
- Concept
- Entrepreneurial Intention
- Field
- Entrepreneurship
- Scales in the library
- 4
- Items
- 19
Entrepreneurial intention is the degree to which a person is determined and has plans to start their own business in the future. Liñán and Chen (2009) measure it with the theory of planned behavior: intention is affected by attitude toward entrepreneurship, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. The EIQ was validated on students in two cultures, so it is often used in comparative studies. Popular topics in Vietnam: students' entrepreneurial intention, the effect of entrepreneurship education, and the role of family.
Comparing the scales
| Scale | Author (year) | Items | Response format | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneurial Intention (EI) Entrepreneurial intention (EIQ) | Liñán & Chen (2009) | 6 | Likert 5-point | 6 items on entrepreneurial intention, used as the dependent variable. |
| Personal Attitude (ATT) Entrepreneurial intention (EIQ) | Liñán & Chen (2009) | 5 | Likert 5-point | 5 items on attitude toward entrepreneurship, the main TPB antecedent. |
| Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) Entrepreneurial intention (EIQ) | Liñán & Chen (2009) | 6 | Likert 5-point | 6 items on perceived behavioral control (confidence in one's ability to start and run a business). |
| Subjective Norm (SN) Entrepreneurial intention (EIQ) | Liñán & Chen (2009) | 2 | Likert 5-point | 2 items on subjective norms; with so few items alpha is likely to be low, so consider reporting the correlation between the two items. |
Items of each scale
Original English wording from the published source. Replace placeholders such as [system] or
[brand] with what your study is about, and pilot the questionnaire with 20 to 30 respondents first.
Entrepreneurial Intention (EI) · Entrepreneurial intention (EIQ)
| Code | Item |
|---|---|
| EI1 | I am ready to do anything to be an entrepreneur. |
| EI2 | My professional goal is to become an entrepreneur. |
| EI3 | I will make every effort to start and run my own firm. |
| EI4 | I am determined to create a firm in the future. |
| EI5 | I have very seriously thought of starting a firm. |
| EI6 | I have the firm intention to start a firm someday. |
Source: Liñán & Chen (2009). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Entrepreneurial intention (EIQ).
Personal Attitude (ATT) · Entrepreneurial intention (EIQ)
| Code | Item |
|---|---|
| ATT1 | Being an entrepreneur implies more advantages than disadvantages to me |
| ATT2 | A career as entrepreneur is attractive for me |
| ATT3 | If I had the opportunity and resources, I'd like to start a firm |
| ATT4 | Being an entrepreneur would entail great satisfaction for me |
| ATT5 | Among various options, I would rather be an entrepreneur |
Source: Liñán & Chen (2009). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Entrepreneurial intention (EIQ).
Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) · Entrepreneurial intention (EIQ)
| Code | Item |
|---|---|
| PBC1 | To start a firm and keep it working would be easy for me. |
| PBC2 | I am prepared to start a viable firm. |
| PBC3 | I can control the creation process of a new firm. |
| PBC4 | I know the necessary practical details to start a firm. |
| PBC5 | I know how to develop an entrepreneurial project. |
| PBC6 | If I tried to start a firm, I would have a high probability of succeeding. |
Source: Liñán & Chen (2009). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Entrepreneurial intention (EIQ).
Subjective Norm (SN) · Entrepreneurial intention (EIQ)
| Code | Item |
|---|---|
| SN1 | If you decided to create a firm, would your family approve of that decision? |
| SN2 | If you decided to create a firm, would your friends approve of that decision? |
Source: Liñán & Chen (2009). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Entrepreneurial intention (EIQ).
Tips
- Measure intention, not the behavior of having started a business: the best respondents are final-year students or young people without a business.
- Subjective norms has only 2 items, so alpha may be low; report the correlation between the two items and explain it in chapter 4.
- If you want to add entrepreneurship education or entrepreneurial passion, make them antecedents of attitude and perceived control, rather than linking all of them directly to intention.
- The scale works with 5 or 7 points; pick one and use it consistently for all constructs.
Once you have a scale, put the concept in the research model drawer to state your hypotheses, work out the minimum sample size, and after data collection check reliability with the Cronbach's alpha calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Which variables does a student entrepreneurial intention model usually include?
Most commonly the three TPB antecedents (attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control) affecting entrepreneurial intention, plus variables such as entrepreneurship education, passion, personality or family support.
How many items should entrepreneurial intention have?
The EIQ has 6 items for intention. Many theses use 3 to 6 items; using all 6 keeps reliability more stable when you have to drop items.
Should I run PLS-SEM for an entrepreneurial intention model?
Yes, if the model has mediators (attitude and behavioral control between entrepreneurship education and intention). If the TPB antecedents point directly to intention, multiple regression is enough.
References
- Liñán, F., & Chen, Y.-W. (2009). Development and cross-cultural application of a specific instrument to measure entrepreneurial intentions. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 33(3), 593–617. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2009.00318.x