I Think I Can, I Think I Can: Effects of Entrepreneurship Orientation on Entrepreneurship Intention of Saudi Agriculture and Food Sciences Graduates

Abstract

Entrepreneurship plays a significant role in achieving the national agenda and the development of nations. The leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) pays significant attention to the role of entrepreneurship by supporting the Saudi Vision 2030 and its programs, e.g., the National Transformation Program and the Human Capability Development Program. The current research examines the effects of entrepreneurship orientation on entrepreneurship intentions among agriculture and food sciences graduates in KSA. More exactly, the research examines the interrelationship and effects of risk-taking, innovativeness, and pro-activeness on the entrepreneurship intentions of higher education graduates, especially among agriculture and food sciences graduates. It also examines the mediating effect of innovativeness and pro-activeness between entrepreneurship orientation and entrepreneurship intention. For this purpose, a pre-examined questionnaire was collected randomly from 440 graduates at several KSA universities. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) supported all research hypotheses and confirmed a direct significant effect of risk-taking on the entrepreneurship intention of students and an indirect effect through innovativeness and pro-activeness. The results confirmed complimentary mediation of innovativeness and pro-activeness in the link between entrepreneurship orientation and entrepreneurship intention. The findings of the research offer some implications for scholars and policymakers in the Saudi context, which are discussed.