Determining the Influential Factors Motivating Undergraduate Students to Initiate Entrepreneurial Ventures

Abstract

Every day, new startups emerge, and a significant portion of them will experience failure just as quickly. The global rise in population has led to a growing concern about unemployment. However, job opportunities are not expanding at a comparable rate to the overall population increase. Consequently, many unemployed individuals are turning to self-employment as a means to regain their dignity and livelihood. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) Model serves as the underlying theoretical framework, given recent research indicating that intentions can effectively forecast future entrepreneurial activities. This research aims to investigate the intentions related to becoming an entrepreneur in terms of personal attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms. The study primarily targets undergraduate students who face the choice of either entering the workforce or pursuing entrepreneurship upon graduation. Employing a descriptive research approach, this study seeks to provide valuable insights and elucidate the connections among attitudes toward behavior, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control that impact entrepreneurial intentions among Malaysian undergraduate students. To assess their entrepreneurial intentions, respondents will complete a structured questionnaire. The study's findings underscore the significance of social entrepreneurship intentions in cultivating students' interest in becoming future entrepreneurs. Insights from this study could provide valuable guidance to educational institutions, policymakers, and entrepreneurship support organizations in designing effective interventions and initiatives aimed at nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit among undergraduate students.