THE IMPACT OF HYBRID MBA EDUCATION IN THAILAND ON CHINESE STUDENTS’ ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION: THE MEDIATING ROLES OF CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATION AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SELF-EFFICACY

Abstract

As Thailand emerges as a regional education hub attracting Chinese MBA students, the entrepreneurial implications of this hybrid educational model remain underexplored. Drawing upon the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), and Acculturation Theory, this study develops a mechanism-based framework to examine how MBA education in Thailand influences Chinese students’ entrepreneurial intention. Specifically, we propose that MBA education experience affects entrepreneurial intention indirectly through cross-cultural adaptation and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. A quantitative research design employing structural equation modeling (SEM) is adopted to test the proposed relationships. Data will be collected from Chinese MBA students enrolled in Thai universities. This study contributes to entrepreneurship education literature by introducing the concept of a “Hybrid Asian MBA Model” and by positioning cross-cultural learning as a form of entrepreneurial capital. Practical implications for curriculum design and transnational education policy are discussed.