Enhancing Entrepreneurship Intentions through Communication Activities

Abstract

At the Language Centre NDUM, the students have initiated an entrepreneurial business company which offers English language related services to the public and the name of the company is The English Language House or TELaH. An example of these services is the online public speaking course which has been offered for more than a year now. This study analyses communication apprehension (CA) in students who run TELaH and investigate if CA influences their entrepreneurship intentions (EI) in becoming entrepreneurs once they have graduated. The study also sees whether demographic factors such as age, gender, education level and grades, work and business experience, and family background affect EI amongst university students, and whether there is any relationship between CA and EI. This is a quantitative study where an adapted questionnaire which tests samples’ CA and EI is used in data collection. It also uses convenient sampling and data are analysed using Pearson Correlation using SPSS version 23.0. Samples are 65 Language Centre’s undergraduate students who are involved with TELaH’s activities such as trainings and courses which involved group discussion, meeting skills, interpersonal, and public speaking. This study supports that good communication skills can contribute to an increase in entrepreneurial intentions amongst graduates. In a way, it implies that people with good communication skills will be inclined to start up own business and succeed at it. Therefore, if universities in Malaysia want to facilitate in promoting entrepreneurship or producing future entrepreneurs, students’ communication skills should be cultivated and enhanced.