What predicts university students' entrepreneurial intentions?: A contribution to the Theory of Planned Behaviour

Abstract

The aim of the study, stemming from the Theory of Planned Behaviour, is to examine the possibility of predicting the entrepreneurial intention of university students based on its motivational antecedents (perceived behavioural control and attitude towards entrepreneurship), individual entrepreneurial orientation and the perception of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The sample consisted of 217 students from universities on the territory of the Republic of Serbia from all levels of study (73.3% females). The levels of entrepreneurial intention and its motivational antecedents were assessed via the Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire. The individual entrepreneurial orientation scale was used to assess the entrepreneurial orientation. A scale developed within the GEM model was utilised to assess government and cultural support for entrepreneurship, while university entrepreneurship support was measured using a scale constructed for the purposes of the study. The results indicate that entrepreneurial intention can be predicted by a positive attitude towards entrepreneurship, as well as perceived behavioural control, while individual entrepreneurial orientation is not related to entrepreneurial intention. Subjective norms show a low, but significant negative relationship with entrepreneurial intention. The role of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in predicting entrepreneurial intention is not clear and requires further study.