The Influence of Computer and Internet Self-Efficacy on Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation: An Empirical Study among Bumiputra University Students in Malaysia

Abstract

The Malaysian government has implemented various programs aid to encourage entrepreneurship among Bumiputra youth. However, the number of embarkation among young Bumiputra into the entrepreneurship landscape is still far below the expectation. The fourth industrial revolution (IR 4.0) and 5G technology has transformed the business landscape into fully digitalized and underlined the importance of entrepreneurship. Unfortunately, due to the advancement of technology, entrepreneurship remains with many challenges, locally or globally. Thus, this leads the study to investigate the most researched antecedents in entrepreneurship study; computer and internet self-efficacy effect on individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) among Bumiputra university students in Malaysia. It used a self-administered questionnaire to collect data from 450 Bumiputra studentsin several campuses of a public university in Malaysia. It developed a research model that integrated the self-efficacy theory and IEO concept. The conducted research analyses revealed that computer self-efficacy and internet efficacy positively and significantly influenced IEO (i.e. innovation, risk-taking, and proactiveness). As such, this study suggested that higher learning institutions should grasp the importance of entrepreneurial education ICT (information, communication, and technology)-related in developing competitive entrepreneurs among Bumiputra youths. Furthermore, students should be given more opportunities to attend ICT courses and use their ICT capabilities and proactively establish an initial move for business opportunities.ICT-related and entrepreneurship behaviours among university students, is still considered as scarcity, and confronts various challenges in creating, training, and developing of new entrepreneurs. Therefore, this study aimed at examining the ICT-related factors that influenced the Bumiputra youth’s IEO. The study adopted a quantitative research method in which the questionnaire survey was used. The population was full-time final year Bumiputra students in several campuses who registered in a Malaysian public university. Data collected from 450 students selected through a proportionate stratified sampling technique. The data were analyzed through descriptive, frequency, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analyses. This study found that factors of computer self-efficacy and internet self-efficacy positively and significantly influenced IEO among Bumiputra university students. This study was essential to higher learning institutions (HLIs) and government. It highlighted that HLIs should focus on hands-on and practical of ICT-related entrepreneurship training. Meanwhile, the government should also provide various assistance in boostingstudents' entrepreneurial behaviours.