Beyond Venture Creation: the Role of Entrepreneurial-related Human Capital on Student Entrepreneurs’ Well-being

This study explores the relationship between student entrepreneurship and well-being, with a focus on the role of entrepreneurial-related human capital as a mediator. While there is considerable literature on how universities encourage students to engage in entrepreneurial activities, less is known about the impact of these activities on students’ well-being. We propose that understanding this relationship is important for promoting entrepreneurship in a healthy manner. Using a sample of 2,194 students from around the world who answered both the GUESSS 2018 and the 2021 surveys, the study proposes a model to explore the relationship between entrepreneurial pathways during students’ academic studies, subjective well-being, and entrepreneurial-related human capital gained from the university’s entrepreneurial offerings. The study also considers gender differences in the relationship between entrepreneurial pathways and well-being. We find that students who experienced an entrepreneurial pathway during their academic time experience an increase in entrepreneurial human capital, which in turn leads to higher levels of subjective well-being, suggesting that universities’ entrepreneurial offerings play a crucial role in students’ well-being. At the same time, these results vary between men and women. This article aims to contribute to the growing body of literature on the relationship between entrepreneurship and well-being, with implications for both universities and students.