The design entrepreneur: How adaptive cognition and formal design training create entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intention

Why are design students more likely than other students to becomeentrepreneurs? The cognitive mechanisms underpinning design- andentrepreneurial thinking have been argued to be similar, suggesting relevance tobusiness venturing. On the other hand, differential formal training in design vsbusiness education suggests distinct types of “entrepreneurial self-efficacy”. Wereport a survey (N ¼ 296) of design versus business students that assessed howadaptive cognition and formal training drive distinct types of entrepreneurialself-efficacy and entrepreneurial intention. The study finds that design versusbusiness students possess different types of entrepreneurial self-efficacy that arepositively predicted by adaptive cognition, but differentially affected by type ofeducation. Both types of entrepreneurial self-efficacy positively predictentrepreneurial intention to start up a business