The Effect of Empathy, Self-Efficacy, and Perceived Social Support on Social Entrepreneurial Intention among Youth in Malaysia

Abstract

This study examined the effects of empathy (EM), social entrepreneurial self-efficacy (SE) and perceived social support (PS) on social entrepreneurial intention (SEI). The study employed a quantitative research survey to achieve the research objectives and answer the research questions using an online self-administered questionnaire adopted and modified from previous research. Data was collected using convenience sampling techniques from Malaysian youth between the ages of 18 and 30; 250 responses were collected. The data was then analyzed using SEM-PLS (SmartPLS 4.0). Only two out of the three hypotheses formulated were found to have significant relationships. Contrary to expectation, empathy did not affect the inclination toward social entrepreneurial intention. Meanwhile, consistent with the theory of social-cognitive theory (SCT), social entrepreneurial self-efficacy and perceived social support have a positive effect on social entrepreneurial intention. This research fills the gaps in the limited research by using the three factors in the context of youth in developing countries such as Malaysia.