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The Role of Institutional Support in Shaping Entrepreneurial Mindset Among College Students: An Empirical Analysis

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The development of an entrepreneurial mindset among college students has become increasingly important in the context of changing employment patterns, technological advancement and the growing significance of innovation and self-employment. Higher educational institutions can contribute to entrepreneurial development by providing appropriate education, training, mentoring, encouragement, practical exposure and entrepreneurial facilities. Against this background, the present study examines the role of institutional support in shaping the entrepreneurial mindset among college students, with special reference to SAFI Institute of Advanced Study. The study is based on primary data collected from 100 college students through a structured questionnaire. The study focuses on two major constructs: institutional support and entrepreneurial mindset. Institutional support is examined through entrepreneurship education, training and skill development, mentoring and guidance, institutional encouragement and environment, and infrastructure and entrepreneurial facilities. Entrepreneurial mindset is assessed through opportunity recognition, creative thinking, entrepreneurial confidence, calculated risk-taking and interest in entrepreneurship as a career. Percentage analysis, dimension-wise analysis and Pearson’s correlation coefficient are employed for data analysis. The findings indicate that students have a generally favourable perception of institutional support, with institutional encouragement and environment receiving the highest level of agreement at 71.3%, while infrastructure and entrepreneurial facilities record the lowest at 58.7%. The overall entrepreneurial mindset records an agreement level of 73%. The study highlights the importance of strengthening practical exposure, formal mentoring, incubation facilities and entrepreneurial networking to create a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem within higher education institutions.

Building Business Resilience in Small Economies: Lessons from SMEs in the United Kingdom

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Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a central role in the United Kingdom’s economic structure, yet they remain particularly vulnerable to systemic shocks such as pandemics, economic restructuring, and supply chain disruptions. Recent crises, including COVID-19 and post-Brexit adjustments, have highlighted the uneven capacity of SMEs to absorb, adapt to, and recover from turbulence. This study examines how UK SMEs build business resilience by analysing the combined influence of internal organisational capabilities and external institutional support mechanisms. Drawing on Resource-Based View, Dynamic Capabilities Theory, and Institutional Theory, the research adopts a mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected through a structured survey of 400 UK SMEs and analysed using regression and structural equation modelling, while qualitative insights were generated from in-depth case studies with SME owners, financial institutions, and business support organisations. The findings reveal that leadership agility, digital readiness, and financial management capabilities are significant predictors of resilience outcomes. External factors, including government support schemes, access to finance, and business networks, were found to moderate and strengthen the effects of internal capabilities rather than substitute for them. The study contributes a multi-level model of SME resilience that integrates firm-level and institutional dimensions and offers evidence-based implications for policymakers and practitioners seeking to enhance SME sustainability in turbulent economic environments.