The Effects of Entrepreneurship Leadership on Youth Entrepreneurial Intentions Post-COVID-19: The Case of Gauteng

The purpose of this research was to assess the effects of entrepreneurship leadership on youth’s entrepreneurial intentions in Gauteng province, South Africa. To test this relationship and attempt to answer the research question, “To what extent does entrepreneurship leadership influence youth entrepreneurial intentions post-COVID-19?” a conceptual model supported by the theory of Planned Behaviour was adopted. Data were collected from 825 youths in Gauteng province, South Africa, through a self-administered questionnaire. The Likert scale was applied to the questionnaire. Entrepreneurship leadership was observed to directly relate to attitude towards entrepreneurship and perceived environmental support and entrepreneurial intentions and entrepreneurial action. Furthermore, the results provide evidence that the three antecedents of entrepreneurial intention: attitude towards entrepreneurship, perceived entrepreneurial abilities and perceived COVID-19 environment influence entrepreneurial intention. Participation in entrepreneurship leadership was observed to positively influence youth intentions to become entrepreneurs. Furthermore, policymakers are encouraged to ensure the implementation of regulations that are conducive to business operations and stimulate youth participation in entrepreneurial activities. The obtained results suggest that attitude towards entrepreneurship and perceived environmental support are observed to completely and partially mediate (respectively) the relationship between three independent variables (entrepreneurship leadership, perceived post-COVID-19 environment and entrepreneurship education) and entrepreneurship intention. Leadership in entrepreneurship is crucial as it creates direction for the business in the post-COVID-19 era. This study attempts to address the gap in the literature concerning the effects of entrepreneurial factors on entrepreneurial intentions through the use of Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour.