17th Economics & Finance Conference, Istanbul

ANTECEDENTS OF ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR

STEVEN KAYAMBAZINTHU MSOSA

Abstract:

Unemployment among South Africa's youth is a pressing issue. Despite this, young people have few opportunities to remain relevant in the economy. A lack of knowledge, funding, networking and mentoring are just some of the challenges many young people face when they decide to start a company. As a result, entrepreneurship as a second career option is out of reach for many young people, especially recent college graduates. This study examined the antecedents of entrepreneurial intention in the South African higher education sector. A quantitative and descriptive research design was adopted. A self-administered online questionnaire was used to collect data from 400 students who were randomly selected. The findings of this study show that entrepreneurial intention has a positive and significant relationship with subjective norms (β=0.619, t-value=8.197, p=0.050), perceived behaviour control (β=0.171, t-value=1.969, p=0.050), personal attitude (β=0.137, t-value=1.967, p=0.050). In contrast, there was a negative and insignificant relationship between entrepreneurial intention and self-efficacy (β=-0.015, t-value=0.209, p=0.835). This research has contributed to the existing body of scholarly work on entrepreneurial intention in the context of higher education and the developing world. It is also anticipated that this research will assist academics, industry professionals, and policymakers in better understanding the dynamics of entrepreneurial inclinations among higher education students.

Keywords: Entrepreneurial intention, Higher education, Youth, Students

PDF: Download