Sustainable Economic Development Through Entrepreneurship: A Study on Attitude, Opportunity Recognition, and Entrepreneurial Intention Among University Students in Malaysia

Karina Wiramihardja; Varha N'dary; Abdullah Al Mamun; Uma Thevi Munikrishnan; Qing Yang; Anas A Salamah; Naeem Hayat

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.866753

Sustainable Economic Development Through Entrepreneurship: A Study on Attitude, Opportunity Recognition, and Entrepreneurial Intention Among University Students in Malaysia

Front Psychol. 2022 Apr 7:13:866753. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.866753. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Karina Wiramihardja¹, Varha N'dary¹, Abdullah Al Mamun², Uma Thevi Munikrishnan¹, Qing Yang¹, Anas A Salamah³, Naeem Hayat⁴

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Business and Management, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
² UKM - Graduate School of Business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia.
³ College of Business Administration, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Business, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Kota Bharu, Malaysia.

Abstract

This study explored the effect of attitude towards entrepreneurship (ATE), need for achievement (NFA), risk-taking propensity (RTP), proactive personality (PRP), self-efficacy (SLE), opportunity recognition competency (ORC), entrepreneurship education, uncertainty avoidance (UNA), and entrepreneurial knowledge (ENK) on entrepreneurial intention (ENIN) among university students in Malaysia. This quantitative study had adopted the cross-sectional design approach and involved 391 university students in Malaysia via the online survey. The study outcomes revealed that the NFA, PRP, and SLE significantly affect students' attitudes towards entrepreneurship. Moreover, entrepreneurship education and UNA significantly affect ORC. Finally, ATE has a positive and significant effect on ENIN among university students in Malaysia. As entrepreneurship offers an alternative career path for people seeking economic prosperity and addressing social issues, including unemployment, the government should formulate effective policies and regulations that support entrepreneurship activities. Universities and other institutions should play a pivotal role in providing the proper exposure via entrepreneurship education while honing the essential traits for a career in entrepreneurship.

Keywords: Malaysia; attitude towards entrepreneurship; entrepreneurial intention; opportunity recognition; university students.