The Entrepreneurial Attitude and Intentions of Newly Enrolled University Students – Issues and Policy Implications

Abstract

The amount of entrepreneurial activities carried out by individuals is correlated with the presence of a supporting entrepreneurial context, and having a positive entrepreneurial attitude and intention. The subject of entrepreneurial attitude and intention has been widely researched previously within various contexts using different analytical frameworks. The current study aims at inquiring those stimulating factors that may potentially trigger the entrepreneurial drive, attitude and intention among the newly enrolled university students. The study also discusses those major challenges and risks which are perceived by the respondents as bottlenecks and barriers to their entrepreneurial journey i.e. in their efforts to turn their entrepreneurial intentions into actions, and thus to move forward from being a “latent entrepreneur” to a “nascent entrepreneur.” The newly enrolled university students in one of the higher educational institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are chosen as a case study. Mixed method research has been employed to conduct this study on a selected sample size of 121 students that includes both males and females almost in equal proportion. This research offers some interesting results and findings, which are deemed to be informative and relevant for young entrepreneurs, policymakers, universities, financial institutions, industrial players and academic researchers alike.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Attitude, Intention, Students, University, Policy, UAE

JEL Classification: L26, M13