Exploring the role of serious leisure in shaping entrepreneurial intention: Insights from higher education students in China

Abstract

Our study examines how serious leisure (SL) shapes entrepreneurial intention (EI) among Chinese university students. Grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), we test a model in which SL enhances career adaptability (CA), which in turn fosters EI, with social support (SS) moderating the CA–EI link. A two-study design integrates external and internal validity: Study 1, a cross-sectional survey of 779 undergraduates from 28 Chinese universities, establishes construct validity and tests the hypothesised associations; Study 2, a 2 × 2 vignette experiment with 308 postgraduates, confirms causality and examines second-stage moderation. Findings consistently support the model: SL boosts EI both directly and indirectly via CA, and SS strengthens the CA–EI pathway. Theoretically, this research broadens SCCT by identifying SL participation as an informal yet significant adaptive career resource, especially when situated within enabling environments like China. Practically, it suggests that higher education institutions should recognise skill-based leisure as a scaffold for EI development. Methodologically, the sequential survey-experiment design provides a robust template for future research seeking ecological and causal validity in leisure, higher education, and entrepreneurship studies.

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ORCID for William E. Donald: orcid.org/0000-0002-3670-5374

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