AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS AND ITS INFLUENCING FACTOR AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS: A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Abstract

The emphasis on entrepreneurial intentions among college students has garnered significant interest in recent years because to their potential impact on economic growth, innovation, and employment generation. Understanding the factors that influence entrepreneurial intentions is essential for creating a favourable climate for entrepreneurship and empowering future generations of entrepreneurs. This study provides a comprehensive examination of the current body of literature on entrepreneurial tendencies among university students and explores the several factors that influence these aspirations. The variables that influence outcomes may be classified into two primary groups: individual-level attributes, such as personality traits, attitudes, self-efficacy, and risk propensity, and contextual factors, which include education, family history, social networks, and institutional support. Research suggests that individual traits, such as certain personality traits and attitudes towards starting a firm, significantly influence the entrepreneurial ambitions of college students. Furthermore, self-efficacy beliefs, which refer to individuals' confidence in their ability to succeed as entrepreneurs, and risk propensity, which indicates individuals' willingness to accept risks, are strong markers of entrepreneurial aspirations. The study result revealed that contextual factors, such as motivations, perceived barriers, may influence entrepreneurial aspirations by providing exposure to successful entrepreneurs as role models, facilitating access to resources and networks, and supplying institutional support.

Keywords: Perceived Barriers, Perceived Opportunities, Personality Traits, Risk Propensity, Role Models, Self-Efficacy and Social Networks