Unpacking entrepreneurial intention: Three student types revealed by cluster analysis of build vs. activity roles

This study examines the diversity of entrepreneurial intentions among university students by extending the construct to include business versus social orientations and founding (“build”) versus participation (“activity”) roles. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with first-year students in Japan. Cluster analysis revealed three student types: Value-Initiator , Value-Contributor , and Traditional-worker . To understand each type's characteristics, the study compared their profiles using Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), entrepreneurial competence based on EntreComp framework, and prior educational experience. Value-Initiator type exhibited high intentions across business and social domains, with strong attitudes, social norms, and initiative-oriented competencies. The Value-Contributor type showed high activity intentions but lower build intentions, indicating motivation for team-based value creation rather than for leadership. The Traditional-worker type demonstrated low entrepreneurial intentions, reflecting limited engagement with entrepreneurial or social initiatives. Comparative analysis revealed business practical education was strongly associated with higher build intentions, while social practical education mainly influenced activity intentions. These findings suggest entrepreneurship education should adopt differentiated approaches: experiential business practice to foster Value-Contributor into Value-Initiator, and career design education to encourage Traditional-workers to explore entrepreneurial mindsets. This study contributes to entrepreneurship education by proposing a multidimensional model of entrepreneurial intention and demonstrating pedagogical implications for an inclusive learning design. • Expands entrepreneurial intention into business/social and build/activity roles. • Identify three student types: Value-Initiator, Value-Contributor, and Traditional-worker. • Identify the characteristics of each type by TPB, EntreComp, and prior education. • Suggests differentiated pedagogical strategies for diverse student profiles.