Exploring the Factors Affecting Young People’s Entrepreneurial Intentions: An Analysis of Bangladeshi University Students

Abstract

This study aims to explore the factors that influence university students’ entrepreneurial intention. A structured questionnaire was distributed to collect primary data conveniently from students of private and public universities of Dhaka and Chattogram. The study included 283 respondents selected through convenience sampling. Correlation and regression are used as statistical tools in the study’s analysis. The study’s findings indicate that institutional influence, motivational intention, social media influence, and situational crisis significantly correlate with university students’ entrepreneurial intention. This finding indicates that the sample respondents are willing to start their own business venture after graduating. Moreover, those factors positively and significantly influence entrepreneurial intention. This study enhances the existing literature on recent graduates’ entrepreneurial intentions in the context of Bangladesh. University policymakers have empirical evidence to place great emphasis on entrepreneurial support and to maintain strong alumni connections to bridge the entrepreneurial gap between undergraduate and graduate students. Different policymakers also pay greater attention to promoting university students’ entrepreneurial intention based on this empirical evidence. This attempt will help foster fresh graduates in starting their own ventures and reduce the unemployment rate. This study involves a limited sample size and focuses exclusively on university students in Bangladesh. Subsequently, it is important to conduct further research into the factors that influence graduate students’ intention to become entrepreneurs.