In Search of Keys to Unlock Young Design Entrepreneurship

This study investigated the determining factors of entrepreneurial intention (EI) of designers in Taiwan. A total of 509 young designers were recruited to test the proposed multiple mediation model. Results revealed that several variables partially mediated the relationship between educational attainment and design EI. Regarding the power of effects, entrepreneurial attitude, educational attainment, and work experience were identified as the three strongest predictors of design EI, followed by bonding social capital, usefulness creativity, originality creativity, and institutional social capital. Notably, work experience exerted a direct negative effect on design EI, but this undesirable association was inverted by the robust positive forces of involved mediators. These results enrich both the design and business literature by suggesting an updated design EI model and advance entrepreneurship theory by integrating professional experience in design entrepreneurship.