Exploring the Factors Influencing Entrepreneurial Intentions of Engineering Students: A Comparative Study

Abstract

This study investigates the entrepreneurial intention of engineering and non-engineering students to understand the potential entrepreneurial gaps among future engineers. The study specifically examines the underlying factors, especially looking at the entrepreneurial scales of mindset and attitudes. The study is a quantitative research conducted by a survey with 112 participants. The results reveal that engineering students exhibit lower levels of entrepreneurial intention compared to the non-engineering group, showing that there is a gap between groups. The two groups exhibit similar levels of entrepreneurial attitudes, while the engineering group shows lower levels of entrepreneurial mindset. The effect of mindset on intention is significant among engineering students and insignificant among non-engineering students, whereas attitudes do not demonstrate a substantial discrepancy. The study found no notable variation in the promotion of entrepreneurial perception among students. The results show that developing an entrepreneurial mindset among engineering students is vital for promoting their entrepreneurial intentions. To achieve this, the research shows that institutions should provide the necessary skills and a supportive environment. Implications for institutions consist of establishing programs that advance entrepreneurial thinking and hands-on experience, leading to a new cohort of successful engineers turned entrepreneurs.