Factors impacting entrepreneurial intentions among university students in Saudi Arabia: testing an integrated model of TPB and EO

PurposeThis research intends to contribute to the literature of entrepreneurial intentions through determining the factors impacting the entrepreneurial intentions among students in different academic programs. This is in order to enhance and improve entrepreneurship-related procedures within relevant universities.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted by a structured survey questionnaire on 261 students in the University of Hail. The questionnaire was developed based on previous studies. The proposed hypotheses were tested by the use of the structured equation modeling (SEM) via using Amos software.FindingsThe results of the current study support the theoretical integration of the model as most of the hypotheses have been accepted. The results of the survey also show that attitudes toward behavior, self-efficacy, autonomy, risk-taking, pro-activeness and competitive aggressiveness are expressively related with entrepreneurial intention. Yet, social norms and innovativeness are not considerably connected with entrepreneurial intention.Research limitations/implicationsThis study seeks to contribute to the relevant literature by integrating the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the entrepreneurial orientation model (EO). This is in order to identify the factors impacting the intention of entrepreneurship among Saudi university students. As the case in many studies, this present study has some limitations. The main limitation lies in that it would not be possible to generalize the study's findings. This is due to the fact the research is the outcome of examining and studying one Saudi university. Therefore, it would be better to conduct similar studies in other Saudi universities in order to generalize the findings of the study.Practical implicationsThe study's results could be of value to policymakers and university administrators in Saudi Arabia universities by which they could be enabled to allocate resources, develop strategies and provide all requirements for the sake of improving entrepreneurial skills among university students. This comprehensive model can be used as a tool for planning and prioritizing resources in bid for providing the required support as this support would reinforce the entrepreneurial opportunity of university students. As such, students would have better thinking about entrepreneurial work and thus would be assisted in achieving their professional goals and the broader goal of nation building.Originality/valueSince today's youth are viewed as the potential future entrepreneurs, they should be encouraged to achieve the Saudi Kingdom's goals through creating suitable employment opportunities for them by supporting entrepreneurship. Therefore, pointing out the factors impacting the entrepreneurial intention of students will contribute to developing the field of entrepreneurship among young people in Saudi Arabic in general. In addition, realized outcomes would create an exciting new knowledge with regard to the entrepreneurial intention among the youth at the university level.

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Symmetric and asymmetric modeling of entrepreneurial ecosystem in developing entrepreneurial intentions among female university students in Saudi Arabia

International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship ◽

10.1108/ijge-02-2019-0039 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 435-458

Author(s):

Imran Ali ◽

Murad Ali ◽

Saeed Badghish

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

University Students ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽

Entrepreneurial Intentions ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Necessary Condition ◽

Entrepreneurial Ecosystem ◽

Content Type

Purpose Unlike previous studies that examine the role of different entrepreneurial ecosystem factors in predicting entrepreneurial intentions. The purpose of this study is to explain the direct effects of entrepreneurial ecosystem factors effecting entrepreneurial intentions and configurational combinations of entrepreneurial ecosystem factors that cause high or low entrepreneurial intentions among female university students in Saudi Arabia. Design/methodology/approach The study used structured survey-questionnaire based data collected from 310 female students enrolled in different universities in Saudi Arabia. The study used symmetric analysis using structural equation modeling technique, whereas asymmetric analysis is performed using the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, necessary condition analysis is also used to identify the role of different entrepreneurial ecosystem factors in increasing and/or decreasing entrepreneurial intentions among young Saudi women. Findings The results of symmetrical analysis show that access to finance, access to physical infrastructure, and cultural factors are not significantly associated with entrepreneurial intentions, whereas government policies and regulations, government programs and support, social factors and entrepreneurship education and training are significantly associated with the development of entrepreneurial intentions among female Saudi university students. While the result of asymmetrical analysis provides 15 configurational models that explains the high levels of certain factors to predict entrepreneurial intentions among female university students in Saudi Arabia. Specifically, social support is found as necessary condition in majority of models to predict high levels of entrepreneurial intentions among female Saudi university students. Practical implications The results of the study provide empirical evidence to policymakers in Saudi Arabia. The study proposes that it is not mandatory that the high levels of all entrepreneurial ecosystem factors are important to predict high entrepreneurial intentions, rather in some conditions the low levels of certain factors are obligatory to predict high levels of entrepreneurial intentions. Originality/value Two-step mix-method approach is used in this study containing analysis of symmetric within entrepreneurial ecosystem increase or decrease entrepreneurial intentions among female university students in Saudi Arabia. There has been plenty of research that examines the role of entrepreneurial ecosystem factors in development of university students’ entrepreneurial intentions, however there is less research evident in the entrepreneurship literature that examine the configurational effects of factors within entrepreneurial ecosystem in increasing and/or decreasing entrepreneurial intentions among female university students.

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The influence of institutional context on entrepreneurial intention: evidence from the Saudi young community

Journal of Enterprising Communities People and Places in the Global Economy ◽

10.1108/jec-02-2021-0019 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Wassim J. Aloulou

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Structural Model ◽

Institutional Environment ◽

Institutional Context ◽

Entrepreneurial Intention ◽

Entrepreneurial Intentions ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Content Type ◽

Institutional Profile ◽

Perceived Desirability

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of how a country’s institutional environment is impacting the young community’s entrepreneurial intention through perceived desirability and feasibility as mediators. Design/methodology/approach This research applies and validates a measure of a country’s institutional profile for entrepreneurship to Saudi university students. This research develops a structural model to investigate the young community’s perceptions about their institutional context, desirability and feasibility and their influence on entrepreneurial intentions. Data was collected from 287 Saudi young communities (university students) from several public universities located in Riyadh. Structural equation modeling analysis was applied to examine the structural model of entrepreneurial intentions. Findings Research findings revealed positive and significant relationships between institutional context dimensions and young community students’ perceived desirability and feasibility and between students’ perceived desirability and feasibility and their entrepreneurial intentions. Their perceived desirability and feasibility were shown to have positive full mediation effects on the relationships between institutional environment dimensions and entrepreneurial intention. Research limitations/implications Research Implications are advanced to help researchers and practitioners in considering the institutional environment for promoting entrepreneurship. Limitations and future research directions are discussed for better generalization of findings and renewed streams of research in the field. Originality/value To the best knowledge of the author, this research is one of the first studies to apply the scale on the institutional country profile to Saudi Arabia with a young community. Studies linking institutional profile to entrepreneurial intentions were also limited in developing countries having a young population. This might catch the attention of researchers, educators and policy-makers.

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Drivers of sustainable entrepreneurial intentions among university students: an integrated model from a developing world context

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education ◽

10.1108/ijshe-07-2020-0277 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 659-680

Author(s):

Agu Godswill Agu ◽

Okwuagwu Okuu Kalu ◽

Chidadi Obinna Esi-Ubani ◽

Paul Chinedu Agu

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Structural Model ◽

Developing World ◽

Explanatory Power ◽

Entrepreneurial Intention ◽

Integrated Model ◽

Entrepreneurial Intentions ◽

Sustainable Entrepreneurship ◽

Content Type ◽

Event Model

Purpose The purpose of this study is to integrate and extend two models of entrepreneurial intention to investigate the drivers of sustainable entrepreneurial intention among intermediate undergraduate university students in Nigeria. Specifically, this paper aims to introduce education for sustainable entrepreneurship into the integrated model, thereby fitting the model into the context of sustainable entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach Data was gathered with the help of a structured questionnaire from 435 students of a university in Nigeria. The students passed through a special entrepreneurship training in which they were educated on the concept and practice of sustainable entrepreneurship. SmartPLS was used to test the proposed structural model. Findings The findings revealed that education for sustainable entrepreneurship significantly influences all variables of the integrated model, but has nonsignificant direct influence on sustainable entrepreneurial intention. Sustainable entrepreneurial intention is significantly driven by attitude and propensity to act. Therefore, the inclusion of education for sustainable entrepreneurship into the regression equation adds to its explanatory power. Originality/value This study contributes toward understanding of sustainable entrepreneurial intention of intermediate university students in a developing world context – Nigeria. Above all, it is among the few studies that shed light on the strength of education for sustainable entrepreneurship in the formation of sustainable entrepreneurial intention among students. This study proposes integration and extension (by adding education for sustainable entrepreneurship) of the theory of planned behavior and entrepreneurial event model in learning about students’ intentions to engage in sustainable entrepreneurship.

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Análise dos constructos comportamentais do empreendedorismo sustentável de estudantes universitários brasileiros

Revista de Administração da UFSM ◽

10.5902/1983465923616 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 718

Author(s):

Luis Eduardo Brandão Paiva ◽

Tereza Cristina Batista de Lima ◽

Silvia Maria Dias Pedro Rebouças ◽

Rômulo Alves Soares

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Entrepreneurial Intention ◽

Positive Influence ◽

Entrepreneurial Intentions ◽

Sustainable Entrepreneurship ◽

Academic Context ◽

Entrepreneurial Intent ◽

Entrepreneurial Activities ◽

The University ◽

Behavioral Constructs

Research on entrepreneurial intention stands out in the academic context and addresses several determinants related to the behavioral nature influencing entrepreneurship. Consequently, the following behavioral constructs were used for sustainable entrepreneurship: attitude towards self-employment; orientation towards sustainability; propensity to innovate; barriers and facilities for entrepreneurial activities; and entrepreneurs in the immediate family. This study aimed to analyze the influence of the behavioral constructs of sustainable entrepreneurship on the entrepreneurial intentions of university students. Based on a sample of 318 students enrolled on an administration course at the Federal University of Ceará, statistical techniques of data analysis were applied, namely factorial analysis, inferential statistics (t-test and Mann-Whitney test), logistic regression and Classification and Regression Trees (CART). Three hypotheses were constructed in this study based on the literature: (i) there is a positive influence between the orientation towards the sustainability of university students and their entrepreneurial intention, (ii) there is a positive influence between the propensity to innovate and the entrepreneurial intention of the university students, and (iii) having entrepreneurs in the immediate family contributes positively to the entrepreneurial intent of university students. It was noted that, in general, students most likely to have entrepreneurial intent are those most concerned with environmental issues, that are stimulating and original, and have immediate relatives that are entrepreneurs.

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Post-materialistic values and entrepreneurial intention – the case of Saudi Arabia

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development ◽

10.1108/jsbed-12-2017-0386 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 158-179 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Khalid Alammari ◽

Robert Newbery ◽

Mohamed Yacine Haddoud ◽

Emily Beaumont

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Cultural Values ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Online Survey ◽

Entrepreneurial Intention ◽

Entrepreneurial Intentions ◽

Entrepreneurial Activity ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Content Type ◽

Materialistic Values

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how cultural values influence the entrepreneurial process. It conceptualises the relationship between post-materialistic values and entrepreneurial intention to explain low entrepreneurial activity.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted in Saudi Arabia with non-entrepreneurs. An online survey returned 405 valid questionnaires, representing a 27 per cent response rate. The data were analysed using partial least structural equation modelling.FindingsThe paper identifies key factors that explain the influence of changing cultural values on entrepreneurial activity. The results show that post-materialistic values influence entrepreneurial intention by decreasing desirability and entrepreneurial self-efficacy.Research limitations/implicationsThe study conceptualises the interplay between cultural values and entrepreneurial intention in Saudi Arabia. Further insights can be developed by comparing Saudi Arabia with other countries. The study was conducted as a “snapshot” of the current situation of entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia with a cross-sectional survey design.Practical implicationsThe paper holds important implications for entrepreneurship educators when addressing unsupportive cultures for entrepreneurial activity. Cultural and motivational approaches are suggested. While the former focuses on aspects that encourage the desire and confidence to start a business, the latter involves encouraging setting venture creation as a goal.Originality/valuePrevious studies indicated that post-materialistic values negatively influence entrepreneurship; this paper contributes further by exploring how this relationship manifests by exploring the intervening factors between post-materialistic values and entrepreneurial intention. It advances entrepreneurship research by investigating deep assumptions underlying the formulation of entrepreneurial intentions. It also responds to the need to understand the difference in the levels of entrepreneurial activity across countries.

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Entrepreneurial intentions on perceived behavioral control and personal attitude: moderated by structural support

Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship ◽

10.1108/apjie-08-2020-0124 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Alberto Magtoto Otchengco Jr. ◽

Yuri Walter Dulay Akiate

Keyword(s):

Structural Equation ◽

Behavioral Control ◽

Entrepreneurial Intention ◽

The Philippines ◽

Entrepreneurial Intentions ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Perceived Behavioral Control ◽

Content Type ◽

Personal Attitude ◽

Structural Support

Purpose This study aims to explore the association between the tricycle drivers’ personal attitude and perceived behavioral control and their entrepreneurial intention. Moreover, the study was conducted to determine whether such a relationship is moderated by structural support. Design/methodology/approach A total of 349 tricycle drivers in the Philippines were randomly selected and served as the respondents of this study. To determine if there is a significant relationship between the variables, structural equation modeling was used. Findings Tricycle drivers denoted that the more positive their perceived behavior control and personal attitude is, the greater their entrepreneurial intention is likely to be. Hence, the relationship of perceived behavioral control and personal attitude on entrepreneurial intention is moderated by perceived structural support. Originality/value By learning individuals’ perceived behavioral control, personal attitude and their entrepreneurial intention of specific classes of people, specifically tricycle drivers, it is possible to assess the feasibility of entrepreneurial efforts initiated by the government even before it is implemented, avoiding wastage of both times, resources and effort.

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Exploring entrepreneurial orientation and intentions among technical university students

Education + Training ◽

10.1108/et-11-2018-0247 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 61 (6) ◽

pp. 718-736

Author(s):

Swagatika Sahoo ◽

Rajeev Kumar Panda

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Entrepreneurial Orientation ◽

Resource Planning ◽

Entrepreneurial Intentions ◽

Primary Data ◽

Content Type ◽

Individual Level ◽

The Individual ◽

The University ◽

The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the impact of the contextual antecedents on the individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) of university graduates, which, in turn, affects their entrepreneurial intentions (EIs). Design/methodology/approach Primary data were collected in the form of 510 valid responses from engineering students across two technical universities in India, through a structured questionnaire consisting of scales adapted from the extant literature, and the data were empirically validated in this study. The reliability and validity measures of the constructs were validated through the confirmatory factor analysis, and the proposed hypotheses were validated using structural equation modelling. Findings The results of this empirical analysis validate that the contextual antecedents have a significant positive impact on students’ entrepreneurial orientation (EO), which, in turn, has a significant positive influence on EIs. Research limitations/implications This analysis depicts the significance of EO as a perceptual driver at the individual level and substantiates that the availability of resources such as startup capital, access to business information, social networks and supportive university context significantly affects the decision-making process of an individual to venture into an otherwise uncertain occupation of entrepreneurship. Practical implications The study has the likely potential to help university administrators and policymakers to allocate resources, develop strategies and provide effective entrepreneurial learning in entrepreneurship-oriented courses aimed at honing entrepreneurial skills and self-confidence of the university students. This holistic model can be used as a tool for resource planning and prioritising in order to provide the desired contextual support essential for fostering the IEO of the university students towards adopting entrepreneurial career, thereby assisting them to achieve their career goals and the broader objective of nation-building. Originality/value This study adopts an innovative approach to empirically validate the EO construct at the individual level, which has been studied at the organisation (firm) level till today. This research explores the relevant contextual antecedents and analyses their impact on IEO as well as the explanatory capacity of IEO to explain students’ EIs in the contextual backdrop of universities in a fast transitioning economy like India.

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Intention towards social entrepreneurship of university students in an emerging economy: the influence of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurship education

On the Horizon ◽

10.1108/oth-04-2020-0012 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 133-151

Author(s):

H.M. Kamrul Hassan

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Social Entrepreneurship ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Entrepreneurship Education ◽

Entrepreneurial Intention ◽

Entrepreneurial Intentions ◽

Future Research ◽

Entrepreneurial Education ◽

Content Type ◽

University Support

Purpose Entrepreneurial intention plays a crucial role in the research and application of social entrepreneurship (SE). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of the factors affecting students’ intention towards social entrepreneurship (ISE). The study has taken entrepreneurial self-efficacy, along with entrepreneurial education, entrepreneurial network and perceived university support that have an impact on intentions, which instills interest amongst students in being future entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach Data were primarily taken from a survey of 380 university students from public and private universities in Chattogram, the business capital of Bangladesh. Students were preliminarily selected, focussing on different profiles such as male/female, age, socio-economic status, education level, university status and employment level. Initially, using factor analysis factors were analyzed and later multiple regression analysis was used to identify the relationship with ISE. Findings The study on the student reveals that four aspects significantly impacted the preference of students’ ISE. This study reinforces the influence of entrepreneurial self-efficacy, along with entrepreneurial education, as the factors contributing to aid young graduates recognizing and fostering an ISE. Entrepreneurial networks and perceived university support were found to have no association with social entrepreneurial intentions. Originality/value This paper contributes to the understanding of the factors and provides a basis for explaining factors that affect the intention of students towards SE. It can contribute to future research related to social entrepreneurial intention. Furthermore, it was concluded that forming social entrepreneurial intention is highly influenced by entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurship education.

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An Empirical Study of Students’ Acceptance of Online Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia

Frontiers in Education Technology ◽

10.22158/fet.v4n3p8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. p8

Author(s):

Dalal Bamufleh ◽

Lama Talat Alradady

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Online Education ◽

University Students ◽

Technology Acceptance ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Measurement Model ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Use Of Technology ◽

Acceptance Model ◽

The University

This paper seeks to explore factors that determine the university student’s acceptance and adoption behavior towards online education platforms in Saudi Arabia (SA) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research relied mainly on two theories: Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Five different constructs were utilized from those theories to investigate the university student’s intention toward using online education platforms. The proposed model and its five hypotheses were tested by conducting a quantitative survey across social media to university students from different regions around SA. For the model validity, the measurement model was analyzed using a structural equation modeling technique applied using SmartPLS software. The survey sample consisted of 708 university students in different regions of SA. The analysis results show that Performance Expectancy (PE) and Facilitating Conditions (FC) affect students’ Attitude toward Using (ATU) and that ATU positively affects Behavioral Intention (BI). Nevertheless, Effort Expectancy (EE) is not significantly related to ATU. Thus, the level of difficulty in using the online education platform is not an effective determinant factor that would change the student’s attitude.

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