Entrepreneurial Intention Among Engineering Students: Mediating Effect of Locus of Control.
| Author | Jain, Shakuntla |
Introduction
There is a need to learn how to develop and encourage young entrepreneurs while they are still in school, as per the impact of entrepreneurship education (Indarti et al., 2016). Individual context variables such as demographics, personality, social, climate, and knowledge that affect individual behavior were included in Ajzen's (2005) modified theory of planned behavior. Based on this breakthrough, various researchers hypothesized that the context influences, particularly entrepreneurial learning. Contextual support and personality factors (personality traits) played an important role in the development of entrepreneurial purpose and behavior. This has sparked a debate about whether predicting entrepreneurial intentions through personality traits is affected by the mediating variables such as motivational factors and perceptions (Baum et al., 2001). However, the literature has generally disregarded the significance of mediating factors in entrepreneurship (Rauch & Frese, 2007).
Previous researches indicated that attitude towards entrepreneurship and locus of control positively affects entrepreneurial intention (EI) (Jain & Arora, 2020). It was found that, despite the significance of entrepreneurship in the growth of economies, most of the previous studies focused on developed countries; there has been a dearth of empirical research on students' entrepreneurial attitudes, intentions, and motivation in the context of developing countries. This study aims to fill this gap. It identifies the locus of control in the effectiveness of entrepreneurial attitude in EI in higher education institutions.
Hypothesis Development
Attitude towards Entrepreneurship (ATE) and Entrepreneurial Intention (EI): Entrepreneurship is a broader term than the mere establishment of a business (Jena, 2020). Entrepreneurship is widely regarded as a phenomenon that can be taught (Johnson et al., 2006), and as a result, most universities are investing large resources to entrepreneurial education. Stoica et al. (2020) studied the three categories of entrepreneurship that impact economic growth which include early stage entrepreneurship opportunities, entrepreneurship based on opportunity and entrepreneurship based on necessity. They found that opportunitydriven entrepreneurship and early-stage entrepreneurship are the key elements in stimulating economic growth. In order to face the challenge of employability, most institutions had center of attention on building entrepreneurial attitudes and abilities among their undergraduates so that their ideas can be turned into practice. Furthermore, such characteristics and skills enable pupils to enter the labor force. Baber (2022) suggests a positive influence of attitude on entrepreneurial intentions. As per Guerrero and Urbano (2012), scholars having education in entrepreneurship are more probable than those who have not studied entrepreneurship education to start their own businesses. Although entrepreneurship education cannot ensure the success of a new business, the teaching and learning methods utilized by educational institutions can be advantageous (Rodrigues, 2004). Souitaris et al. (2007) advocated that colleges focus on their goal, assistance, and environment in order to boost students' entrepreneurial intent. Zollo et al. (2017) proposed that if education institutes give appropriate information and motivation for entrepreneurship, the possibility of youngsters choosing their profession as entrepreneurship can increase. As a result, based on these considerations and the future need, there is still a need to investigate the relationship between ATE and EI, this study proposed the following hypotheses:
H1: ATE has a positive impact on students' EI.
Attitude towards Entrepreneurship (ATE) and Locus of Control (LOC): An optimistic mindset when it comes to starting a business is an essential determinant of aspiring to be an entrepreneur. The present study ascertained the relationship between the two variables as suggested by past studies including Doanh and Bernat (2019) and Munir et al., (2019). For businessmen, internal LOC refers to psychological factors that influence their attitude and behavior. From a theoretical standpoint, LOC can be observed as a possible element in determining whether a small business owner is responsive and pursues opportunities that others overlook in a particular economic scenario. Furthermore, people who have an internal LOC are more prone to assume that environmental forces, such as the economy, may be affected rather than passively accepted (Ward, 1993: Wheatley et al., 1991). Based on a comprehensive review by Sapp and Harrod (1993) and others cited in this study, it is thought that there is a relationship between entrepreneurs and the presence of an internal LOC and further research into the relationship between the ATE and LOC is required, this study proposed the following hypotheses:
H2: ATE has a...
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