Determinants of Students' Entrepreneurial Career Intentions: Evidence from Business Graduates

Abstract

In hard times when educated persons can’t get jobs, it is becoming challenge for states. It is rather harder for least and under developed countries, like Pakistan, where governments are not having sufficient resources to support the unemployed workforce. Self employment and Entrepreneurship is referred as the best solution. But entrepreneurship is not the function that might be outcome of simple efforts. It requires a regular and permanent attitude as part of personality. Attitude can be based on personality traits and demographic characteristics; it can also be reshaped with education. This research aims to study the impact of personal traits, demographic characteristics and entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intentions of university students of Pakistan. This research will be a value addition in Pakistani scenario as it will provide knowledge base for entrepreneurship in the country. Out of the entrepreneurial traits, Innovativeness is considered to be one of the core traits of entrepreneurs and is widely discussed by researchers. Data was collected from the sample of 276 university students. Results show strong relation between innovativeness and entrepreneurial intentions, however some demographical characteristics i.e. Gender and age, were insignificant with the intentions to become entrepreneurs, but prior experience, family exposure to business and level of exposure inclines students to become entrepreneur.