Unlocking the Founder Mindset: Mapping Generation Z Students’ Personal Entrepreneurial Competencies for Campus Economic Independence

This study aims to map the 10 dimensions of McClelland’s Personal Entrepreneurial Competencies (PEC) among Gen Z students across disciplines, identify primary barriers to business initiation, and formulate an intervention model for curriculum and campus ecosystems. Employing a descriptive-exploratory quantitative approach, data were collected via structured questionnaires from 162 business and non-business students. Findings reveal that overall PEC achievement is high, with work commitment and digital technology-driven efficiency as key strengths. However, critical weaknesses emerge in calculated risk-taking and campus opportunity seeking. The primary barriers identified are limited practical exposure to business reality and fear of financial failure. Furthermore, business students consistently exhibit higher planning maturity than non-business peers. To bridge the gap between high entrepreneurial intention and low campus incubator participation, an intervention framework is proposed featuring action-based experiential learning, generative AI integration, and inclusive cross-disciplinary incubators offering practical mentorship and seed funding. This study underscores the necessity of building an adaptive Entrepreneurial University ecosystem.