Role of Demographics, Entrepreneurship Education and Entrepreneurial Social Background in Entrepreneurial Intention of Indian Business Students

Abstract

Studies on entrepreneurial intention among students form the heart of entrepreneurship literature. Since these students are the potential entrepreneurs, it, therefore, becomes imperative to understand how their entrepreneurial intentions are shaped and what factors contribute to an increase in these intentions. For this purpose, the entrepreneurial intention of 150 business students was assessed with regard to demographics, entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial social background using independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA and Bayesian analysis. The major findings demonstrated that male students exhibit significantly higher entrepreneurial intent than female students. Older students in the sample were more entrepreneurially inclined than younger students. Further, the analysis revealed that students having self-employed friends exhibit intention towards entrepreneurship than students having self-employed parents. Surprisingly, the entrepreneurial intention of students who participated in the entrepreneurship education program was lower than those who did not. This research is a contribution to the growing body of literature that highlights various factors at play while assessing entrepreneurial intention of students. Besides, the study has implications for entrepreneurship educators and policymakers engaged in the cultivation and establishment of entrepreneurial ecosystems. KEY WORDS: Entrepreneurship, Demographics, Entrepreneurial Education, Entrepreneurial Social Background, Entrepreneurial Intention, Bayesian Analysis