Effect of individual factors on youth entrepreneurship – a study of Uttarakhand state, India

Abstract

In this study we have tried to examine the effect of individual factors like intelligence, past self employment experience, past work experience and educational course of professional students on their decision to take up entrepreneurship as a career choice. It is a quantitative study wherein we have taken data of 530 young students studying in the final year of various professional courses (MBA/PGDM, MCA, B.Tech, BHMCT & B.Pharm) of Uttarakhand state of India. The student target population chosen for this study was in the age group of 20–24 years. The male & female ratio of this study was 75 & 25 respectively. Data analysis has been done using Cross tabulation and Chi square test. The results showed that past self-employment experience has a negative impact on student’s entrepreneurial inclination. No relationship was seen between the work experience (typically less than 3 years) and entrepreneurial inclination. Students scoring high on intelligence were seen to have no or little entrepreneurial inclination and students who were in MBA/PGDM, MCA & BHMCT courses were little better inclined towards entrepreneurship in comparison to the rest of the courses.