Motivational and Attitudinal Determinants of Entrepreneurial Intention: Hospitality and Tourism Students’ Perspectives

ABSTRACT This study aims at examining the effect of the motivational and attitudinal determinants on entrepreneurial intention among Hospitality and Tourism (H&T) students in Malaysia. In practice, entrepreneurship researchers tended to pay more attention to the attitudinal factors on entrepreneurial intention but neglected possible effects of motivational factors particularly in the H&T field. The sample of the study consisted of 292 students enrolled in two universities. The results of the structural model indicated that entrepreneurial intention is positively influenced by both self-efficacy and attitude toward entrepreneurship but not by subjective norms. Additionally, although both motivational antecedents influenced the proximal attitudinal factors, intrinsic motivation showed, comparatively, stronger effect. Overall, the model has explained 81% of the variance in the intention to start a business. This study provides new insights and contributes to the ongoing entrepreneurship discussion.