Propósito de vida altruista e intención emprendedora de universitarios

Humberto Charles-Leija; Ceyla  Antonio Anderson; Gregorio  Castro Rosales

doi:10.58479/almanaque.2026.231

Authors

Humberto Charles-Leija Tecnológico de Monterrey (México)
Ceyla Antonio Anderson Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila (México)
Gregorio Castro Rosales Universidad La Salle de Saltillo (México)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58479/almanaque.2026.231

Keywords:

life purpose, entrepreneurial intention, altruism, entrepreneurship, university students

Abstract

Various studies have explored the determinants of entrepreneurial intention, drawing on frameworks such as the Theory of Planned Behavior or motivational theories. Based on primary data from over 170 university students, a theoretical framework was designed to link an altruistic life purpose with entrepreneurial intention. Validated instruments and correlational analysis were employed. The integrated theoretical results indicate that a broad life purpose, one oriented beyond the self with a strong altruistic component, is positively associated with a favorable attitude toward entrepreneurship and higher intrinsic motivation to start a business. This finding suggests that a broader life purpose fosters entrepreneurial intention. The study concludes that an educational emphasis on altruism can enhance entrepreneurial vocations among youth (not only in social enterprises but also in for-profit ventures).

Author Biographies

Humberto Charles-Leija, Tecnológico de Monterrey (México)

Humberto Charles-Leija holds a PhD in Economics and serves as Research Leader in Organizations at the Institute for Purpose and Holistic Well-Being at Universidad Tecmilenio, as well as a professor at the Tecnológico de Monterrey School of Business. For six years, he has advised business executives in Universidad Tecmilenio’s Master’s Program in Positive Leadership, impacting hundreds of employees. He is a Level I member of Mexico’s National System of Researchers (SNI). His research focuses on Organizational Well-Being, Meaningful Work, and Entrepreneurship. He has published approximately 40 research articles and book chapters, and his work has been cited in more than 600 scientific publications.

He has presented his research at conferences of the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS) in the United States, South Korea, Austria, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Argentina. He has also participated in podcasts, radio programs, and television programs to disseminate his research findings. He was a member of the Specialized Technical Group on Income and Well-Being Measurement (GTMIB), a team responsible for developing new indicators of well-being and income in Mexico in collaboration with INEGI. He is also a founding member of the Latin American Association for the Study of Human Flourishing (ALEFH), an organization dedicated to promoting and advancing research on human flourishing in Latin America.

Ceyla Antonio Anderson, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila (México)

Ceyla Antonio Anderson is a Professor and Researcher at the Autonomous University of Coahuila. Her academic career spans more than two decades, during which she has taught at public institutions such as the Higher Technological Institute of San Miguel el Grande (Oaxaca) and the Autonomous University of Coahuila, as well as at private universities, including the University of the Valley of Mexico and the Autonomous University of the Northeast, teaching courses in the fields of economics, business, and administration. Her research has primarily focused on two areas: health economics and financial literacy. In the first, she has examined the relationship between economic factors and health, addressing topics such as abdominal obesity and the impact of maternal employment on adolescents. In the second, her research has explored the socioeconomic determinants of financial literacy and their effects on loan delinquency, as well as financial well-being and financial stress. Her academic work reflects an ongoing commitment to analyzing social challenges in Mexico, combining methodological rigor with an approach focused on regional development and the economic inclusion of vulnerable populations.

Gregorio Castro Rosales , Universidad La Salle de Saltillo (México)

Gregorio Castro Rosales is a researcher in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the Antonio Narro Autonomous Agrarian University (UAAAN), whose career has focused on environmental and regional economics, as well as market research. His academic work spans more than two decades, with significant publications on the economic valuation of natural resources, urban water management in Mexico, and the analysis of food consumption patterns. He has applied innovative methodologies, such as the travel cost method and contingent valuation, to estimate the economic value of recreational sites and ecosystems for which no established market exists, applying these approaches in regions such as Huasteca Potosina and Sierra de Zapalinamé. He has also contributed to the study of the concentration and specialization of agricultural production across Mexican states, as well as to the analysis of regional input-output matrices. His approach combines econometric methods with ecological and social perspectives, seeking not only to understand economic dynamics but also to propose solutions to environmental conflicts and improve public policy decision-making.