Self-direction as potential predictor of undergraduates' entrepreneurial intentions

Abstract

Entrepreneurial motivations merit further scholarly research owing to their scientific power to explain and predict entrepreneurial intentions and behaviours. This study bridges two streams of literature from entrepreneurial values and entrepreneurial intentions for new venture creation in the context of 205 students from a Malaysian private university. Additionally, the adoption of theoretically sound, rigorously developed and psycho-metrically validated values and intention measurement instruments, as well as structural equation modelling technique, advances entrepreneurial intentions research in terms of theoretical sophistication and methodological rigour. Utilising a comprehensive values model to scrutinise the simultaneous influence of five individualistic values, the results revealed that only self-direction is a significant predictor of undergraduates' entrepreneurial intentions for new venture creation. The triangulation of findings from this study and other evidence suggests that self-direction is potentially a universal motivation for new venture creation. Consequently, to maximise results, entrepreneurship education programmes and trainings should target those undergraduates highly motivated by self-direction.