Building the next Generation of Entrepreneurs: Assessing the determinants of Malaysian youth entrepreneurship intention

Authors

  • Ahmad Nabil Mohd Zahariman Faculty of Administrative Science & Policy Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 70300 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
  • Nur Fatin Syazliana Zahar Faculty of Administrative Science & Policy Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 70300 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
  • Nurul Hidayana Mohd Noor Faculty of Administrative Science & Policy Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 70300 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v10iSI38.7636

Keywords:

entrepreneurial intention, moderating factor, student

Abstract

This study aims to identify factors influencing entrepreneurial intentions among Malaysian public university students at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. The second objective is to examine the moderate effect of gender. A total of 357 students participated in this study, selected through a systematic sampling method. Pearson correlation analysis showed that all four independent variables (i.e., attitude, education, financial support, and market availability) had a significant positive relationship with entrepreneurial intentions. Additionally, the results of the hierarchical regression analysis revealed that gender moderates the relationships between attitude, education, and entrepreneurial intention.

References

Amofah, K., & Saladrigues, R. (2022). Impact of attitude towards entrepreneurship education and role models on entrepreneurial intention. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 11(1), 36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-022-00197-5

Awang, N. H., Noor, M., Othman, N., Sa'at, N. H., & Ismail, R. (2021). Dorongan kelangsungan usahawan wanita dalam perusahaan batik dan songket. Jurnal Pengurusan, 61, 69-81. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17576/pengurusan-2021-61-06

Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

Baistaman, J., Bakar, H. A., Mustapha, W. M. W., & Nawi, F. A. M. (2025). Fostering entrepreneurship in universities: Analyzing attitude, subjective norms, and risk taking on student entrepreneurial intentions. Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal, 10(SI28), 53–58. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v10iSI28.6949

Do Nguyen, Q., & Nguyen, H. T. (2023). Entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention: The mediating role of entrepreneurial capacity. The International Journal of Management Education, 21(1), 100730. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2022.100730

Duong, C. D. (2022). Exploring the link between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intentions: The moderating role of educational fields. Education+ Training, 64(7), 869-891. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-05-2021-0173

Fatoki, O. & Garwe, D. (2010). Obstacles to the growth of new SMEs in South Africa: A Principal Component Analysis Approach. African Journal of Business Management, 4(5), 729–738. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v5n10p128

Fayolle, A., & Gailly, B. (2015). The impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial attitudes and intention: Hysteresis and persistence. Journal of Small Business Management, 53(1), 75–93. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jsbm.12065

Hassan, A., Saleem, I., Anwar, I., & Hussain, S. A. (2020). Entrepreneurial intention of Indian university students: The role of opportunity recognition and entrepreneurship education. Education+ Training, 62(7/8), 843–861. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-02-2020-0033

Kaur, M., & Chawla, S. (2023). Understanding the relationship between entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial attitudes, and entrepreneurial intentions among engineering graduates: The moderating role of gender. Journal of Work-Applied Management, 15(2), 200–215. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JWAM-05-2023-0039

Kibler, E. (2013). Formation of entrepreneurial intentions in a regional context. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 25(3-4), 293–323. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08985626.2012.721008

Kline, R. B. (2005). Structural equation modeling principles and application (2nd Ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Education and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607-610. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447003000308

Liñán, F., & Chen, Y. W. (2009). Development and cross–cultural application of a specific instrument to measure entrepreneurial intentions. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 33(3), 593-617. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2009.00318.x

Margaça, C., Hernández-Sánchez, B., Sánchez-García, J. C., & Cardella, G. M. (2021). The roles of psychological capital and gender in university students’ entrepreneurial intentions. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 615910. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.615910

Mohd Noor, N. H., Mohamad Fuzi, A., & El Ashfahany, A. (2023). Institutional support and self-efficacy as catalysts for new venture performance: A study of iGen entrepreneurs. Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, 12(3/4), 173–196. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JEPP-02-2023-0015

Mohd Noor, N. H., & Malek, E. N. (2021). An application of theory of planned behavior in determining student entrepreneurship intention. Jurnal Intelek, 16(1), 207–214. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24191/ji.v16i1.382

Noor, N. H. M. (2024). Inclination towards entrepreneurship among university students: Reasoning about causal relationships. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Management Practices (IJEMP), 7(25), 170–189. DOI: https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEMP.725015

Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Pelegrini, G. C., & Moraes, G. H. S. M. D. (2022). Does gender matter? A university ecosystem, self-efficacy, and entrepreneurial intention analysis in Brazilian universities. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 37(2), 271–286. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-01-2021-0007

Ramadani, V., Rahman, M. M., Salamzadeh, A., Rahaman, M. S., & Abazi-Alili, H. (2022). Entrepreneurship education and graduates' entrepreneurial intentions: Does gender matter? A multi-group analysis using AMOS. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 180, 121693. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121693

Saoula, O., Abid, M. F., Ahmad, M. J., & Shamim, A. (2025). What drives entrepreneurial intentions? Interplay between entrepreneurial education, financial support, role models, and attitude towards entrepreneurship. Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 19(2), 128–148. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/APJIE-10-2023-0189

Sharma, M., Luthra, S., Joshi, S., & Kumar, A. (2021). Accelerating retail supply chain performance against pandemic disruption: Adopting resilient strategies to mitigate the long-term effects. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 34(6), 1844-1873. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-07-2020-0286

Sulaiman, M. A. B. A., Asad, M., Awain, A. M. S. B., Asif, M. U., & Shanfari, K. S. A. (2024). Entrepreneurial marketing and performance: Contingent role of market turbulence. Discover Sustainability, 5(1), 492. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00710-8

Zarkua, T., Heijman, W., Benešová, I., & Krivko, M. (2025). Entrepreneurship as a driver of economic development. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 13(1), 61-77. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15678/EBER.2025.130104

Downloads

Published

2025-12-04

How to Cite

Mohd Zahariman, A. N., Zahar, N. F. S., & Mohd Noor, N. H. (2025). Building the next Generation of Entrepreneurs: Assessing the determinants of Malaysian youth entrepreneurship intention . Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal, 10(SI38), 9–14. https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v10iSI38.7636

Issue

Section

Children / Youth Environment

Most read articles by the same author(s)