Journal Article

Entrepreneurial and civil service career intentions among rural youth: an asymmetric approach to competing vocational trajectories

Joaqui-Barandica, Orlando, Zacharewicz, Thomas, Chavarría-Ortiz, Carlos, Heredia-Carroza, Jesús

2026

Overview

This study examines whether the Theory of Planned Behaviour operates symmetrically when rural youth evaluate two competing career paths: entrepreneurship and civil service employment. This comparison is especially relevant in rural contexts characterised by structural constraints and limited professional alternatives. Using survey data from 599 students enrolled at a rural higher education institution in Spain, we estimate structural equation models linking entrepreneurial attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control to both entrepreneurial and civil service career intentions. Entrepreneurial intentions are positively and significantly driven by entrepreneurial attitudes and perceived behavioural control, while subjective norms are not significant. In contrast, civil service intentions are negatively associated with perceived behavioural control and show no significant relationship with entrepreneurial attitudes or subjective norms. Overall, the findings indicate that the Theory of Planned Behaviour operates asymmetrically across vocational domains in rural contexts, with perceived behavioural control acting as a key discriminator between autonomy-oriented and stability-oriented career trajectories. The study contributes to entrepreneurship-intention research by clarifying the boundary conditions of the Theory of Planned Behaviour across competing vocational domains. The study also offers policy-relevant implications for rural youth employment strategies. Highlights Compares entrepreneurial and civil service career intentions using a unified TPB framework in a rural context. Entrepreneurial attitudes and perceived behavioural control positively predict entrepreneurial intentions, while subjective norms are non-significant. Civil service intentions are negatively related to perceived behavioural control, indicating an asymmetric TPB pattern across career paths.

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Attitudes / Boundary conditions / Business and Management / Careers / Civil service / Decision making / Education / Emerging Markets/Globalization / Employment / Entrepreneurs / Entrepreneurship / Institutionalization / Management / Rural development / Sustainability / Theory of planned behavior