Understanding the Entrepreneurial Intention Among University Students in Malaysia With a Moderating Effect of Education Major

Abstract

In this continuously emerging economy, the unemployment rate is a worrying issue in Malaysia. Research suggested that the encouragement of undergraduates to become an entrepreneur could help resolve this issue. The purpose of this study is to investigate how perceived behavioural control, subjective norm, attitude, and entrepreneur motivation affects undergraduates’ intention to become an entrepreneur in Malaysia. This study has prepared a set of questionnaires for a sample of 243 targeted respondents. SPSS and Smart PLS were used to assess the model. This study also examines the moderating effect of an education major on the relationship of the four independent variables with the entrepreneurial intention among undergraduates in Malaysia. For the direct effects, the analysis result shows that perceived behavioural control, subjective norm, and attitude have a significant relationship with the entrepreneurial intention among undergraduates in Malaysia. Furthermore, the analysis result revealed that an education major significantly moderates the effects of both attitudes and perceived behavioural control on entrepreneurial intention among Malaysian undergraduates. The findings of this study assist the government and other relevant institutions in understanding the significant factors which must be considered to cultivate entrepreneurial intention among Malaysian undergraduates.