Determinants of Entrepreneurial Intention among Ethiopian Engineering Students
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to identify determinants of entrepreneurial intentions among engineering graduating students at HachaluHundessa Campus, Institute of Technology, Ambo University (Ambo). Empirical data is collected from engineering graduating students. Self-structured seven-point Likert scale questionnaires are prepared and distributed. Independent variables considered in the study include locus of control; the need for achievement; instrumental readiness; self-efficiency and the dependent variable considered is entrepreneurial intentions. The respondents were asked to state their agreement/disagreement on statements on the independent and dependent variables. A total of 300 usable questionnaires were obtained. Exploratory factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted on the collected data. The results of the regression analysis revealed that the need for achievement, instrumental readiness, self-efficiency, and entrepreneur education influence the entrepreneurial intentions are in the expected direction, while locus of control has no significant effect on the dependent variable entrepreneurial intentions. The result identified that engineering graduating students who had undergone entrepreneurship education tend to have better entrepreneurial intentions. The limitation of this research lies in the sample size and the study units (universities) from which samples have been taken. Future research is recommended to predict the entrepreneurship intention of students by taking a larger sample from more universities in the country. The study strongly suggests the need to incorporate entrepreneurship education in the curriculum of technical disciplines in Ethiopian universities. The research provides an assessment of entrepreneurship intention of engineering graduating students in the country which was not explored in the past and hence it further enriches literature and helps to universalize intention theories.
