Entrepreneurial Intention among Malaysian Undergraduates

Abstract

Research on entrepreneurship intention has and continues to be of interest to researchers due to its importance to the development for many countries. The literature on entrepreneurship intention has examined various issues with many focusing on the factors that influence entrepreneurship intention. However, most of these studies were conducted in a non-Malaysian setting. This study examines entrepreneurship intention among Malaysian Business Students. Using a questionnaire survey on undergraduate business students in a Malaysian public university, this study examines whether business students have an intention to pursue entrepreneurship. It also examines whether personality traits and environmental factors influence the students to become entrepreneurs. The results indicate that more than half of the respondents have an intention to become entrepreneurs and their decisions are attributed by the influence from their family members, academics and attending courses on entrepreneurship. The results also show that out of the two factors: personality traits and environmental, personality traits play an important role in influencing the students’ decision to become entrepreneurs. The findings implicate that academics need to play a significant role in encouraging more students to become entrepreneurs by providing more awareness on the benefits of becoming entrepreneurs and in turn, contributing to the growth of the country’s economies and global competitiveness.