Influence of Contextual Factors on University Student’s Attitude and Perception Towards Entrepreneurial Intention

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is an important solution to the employment difficulty of university students by guiding them to organize a new business venture. The present study focused on the entrepreneurial support factors that were assumed to have an impact on entrepreneurial intention through university student’s personal attitude and perceived behavioral control in Faculty of Commerce and Management, Eastern University, Sri Lanka. Theory of Planned Behavior Model is used as a theoretical framework. Contextual factors which are relational, educational and structural supports are considered as backgrounds of personal attitude and perceived behavioral control, in return, they are expected to have an impact on entrepreneurial intention. The quantitative study conducted based on primary data which was collected among 300 graduate and undergraduate students by using self-administrated and electronic questionnaire. Proposed relations were tested through series of regression analysis, based on the results, relational and educational supports predicted the personal attitude. Relational support predicted the perceived behavioural control. Based on the present model relational support, personal attitude and perceived behavioural control are the predictors to the entrepreneurial intention. Mediating effects were tested by using the Baron and Kenny’s approach. According to result of this study found that, personal attitude and perceived behavioral control partially mediates the relationship between contextual support factors and entrepreneurial intention. Consequently, these research findings have provided some useful insight and feedback to educators and policy makers to improve and understanding of graduate and undergraduate student’s entrepreneurial intention.