Factors Influencing Entrepreneurial Intentions of Youth in Gujarat

Does Attitude Play a Mediating Role

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is multifaceted. Examining it at different levels encourages entrepreneurial behaviour. The process of starting a business involves developing entrepreneurial intentions and then constructing and running the business. Entrepreneurial intention is thought to drive entrepreneurial behaviour. Understanding what motivates and shapes Indian youth’s entrepreneurial intents is critical before developing effective entrepreneurship promotion strategies. This study empirically investigates the linkage between intentions and behaviour based on previous research on the characteristics that determine intentions of youth towards starting a business in Gujarat. A sample of 300 respondents in the age group of 15 to 24 years have been surveyed for the study using a structured questionnaire. The study aims at an entrepreneurial intention model to determine the factors that form adolescent entrepreneurial attitudes and intents while also considering the effect that entrepreneurial intention has on their entrepreneurial behaviour. It was tested using Smart PLS. Based on the theory of planned behaviour, researchers examined how personal characteristics, family support, government support, and education affect entrepreneur intent and made policy recommendations. This study makes a unique contribution by addressing a gap in the literature on the link between entrepreneurial intentions and perceived entrepreneurial behaviour among youth in Indian Context.