Entrepreneurial Intentions Among University Students: The Moderating Role of Self-Efficacy

Abstract

 Entrepreneurial intentions refer to the planned and deliberate inclinations of university students to engage in entrepreneurial activities or start their own businesses in the foreseeable future.This paper investigates the impact of moderating role of self-efficacy on entrepreneurial intentions among university students in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. A self-reported questionnaire was employed to collect data. Data was collected from 20 different educational institutions where university-level courses were taught.  Since using the purposive sampling technique 508 filled responses were collected. The analysis employed nonparametric regression through the partial least square method, conducted with Smart-PLS version 3, to examine self-efficacy’s moderating role on entrepreneurial intentions. The findings reveal that locus of control, need for achievement, and personal attitude had notable but statistically non-significant effects on entrepreneurial intentions, suggesting these factors may not differ substantially across varying levels of self-efficacy. However, self-efficacy significantly interacts with perceived behavioral control and subjective norms, highlighting their combined impact on entrepreneurial intentions. Specifically, self-efficacy combined with perceived behavioral control (β = 0.144, p = 0.000) and subjective norms (β = 0.134, p = 0.000) strongly influence entrepreneurial intentions, with higher self-efficacy amplifying perceived control over actions. These results underscore the vital roles of self-efficacy and perceived control in shaping entrepreneurial intentions among university students in Kathmandu Valley