Impact of entrepreneurial characteristics on entrepreneurial intentions: a case study of Khouzestan Ramin University

Authors
Masoud Yazdanpanah 1
Tahereh Zobeidi 2
1 Deptartment of Agriculture Extension and Education, Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan
2 Doctoral student in Agriculture Extension and Education, Zanjan University
Abstract
Development of new business through entrepreneurship directly impact on societies and economies growth and prosper. Due to the high percentage of unemployed graduates in agriculture, there is a need to clarify which elements play the most influential role in shaping the personal decision to start a firm. The purpose of this study was to investigate self-esteem, self-efficacy, risk taking and social networking on entrepreneurial intention. Study population was undergraduate students of the Khouzestan Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resources University during 2007-08. A total of 500 questionnaires were sent to graduates. Of the return questionnaires, 123 were useful, which were somehow selected through follow-up studies.  The face validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of experts. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed by pilot study and using the obtained teta coefficient (0.68-0.90). The results showed that there are significant difference between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs in self-esteem and self-efficacy variables. The multiple regression, also revealed self-efficacy and networking significantly can predict 80 percent of variations intention toward future entrepreneurship. The results of this research can be used to design more effective educational programs.

Keywords

1. 17Uusitalo, R. (2001). Homo entrepreneurs? Applied Economics, 33(13), 1631-1638.
2. Agricultural and Natural Resources Engineering Organization (2014). Unemployment rate is 25 percent of graduates. Retrieved from http://iaeo.org/p=4038(in Persian).
3. Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211.
4. Akhter, R., & Sumi, F. R. (2014). Socio-cultural factors influencing entrepreneurial activities: A study on Bangladesh.
5. Ansari, M. T., & Salmanizade, A. (2008). Demographic characteristics of Iranian entrepreneurs. Social Welfare, 7 (29), 167-188. Retrieved from http://refahj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-2096-fa.html(in Persian).
6. Autio, E., Keeley, R. H., Klofsten, M., Parker, G. G. C., & Hay, M. (2001). Entrepreneurial intent among students in Scandinavia and in the USA. Enterprise and Innovation Management Studies, 2(2), 145-160.
7. Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman.
8. Baron, R. A. (2004). The cognitive perspective: A valuable tool for answering entrepreneurship’s basic “why” questions. Journal of Business Venturing, 19(2), 221-239.
9. Baron, R. A. (2007). Entrepreneurship: A process perspective. In J. R. Baum, M. Frese, & R. A. Baron (Eds.). The psychology of entrepreneurship (pp. 19-40). Mahwah, London: Lawrence Erlbaum.
10. Baron, R. A., & Markman, G. D. (2003). Beyond social capital: The role of entrepreneurs' social competence in their financial success. Journal of Business Venturing, 18(1), 41-60.
11. Batjargal, B. )2010(. Network dynamics and new ventures in China: A longitudinal study. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 22(2), 139-53.
12. Baumeister, R. F., Campbell, J. D., Krueger, J. I., & Vohs, K. D. (2003). Does high self-esteem cause better performance, interpersonal success, happiness, or healthier lifestyles? Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 4, 1-44.
13. Bird, B. (1988). Implementing entrepreneurial ideas: The case of intentions. Academy of Management Review, 13 (3), 442-454.
14. Brockhaus, R. (1994, September). Family business: A blessing or a curse? Keynote Address, Proceedings of the Small Enterprise Association of Australia and New Zealand Conference, Auckland: NZ, 25-27 September.
15. Campbell, J. D., & Lavallee, L. F. (1993). Who am I? The role of self-concept confusion in understanding the behavior of people with low self-esteem. In R. F. Baumeister (Ed.). Self-esteem. The puzzle of low self-regard (pp. 3–20). New York: Plenum Press.
16. Cope, J., Jack, S., & Rose, M.B. (2007). Social capital and entrepreneurship an introduction. International Small Business Journal, 25(3), 213-219.
17. Evald, M.R., Klyver, K., & Svendsen, S.G. (2006). The changing importance of the strength of ties throughout the entrepreneurial process. Journal of Enterprising Culture, 14(1), 1-26.
18. Fayolle, A., & DeGeorge, J.M. (2006). Attitudes, intentions, and behavior: New approaches to evaluating entrepreneurship education. In A. Fayolle & H. Klandt (Eds.). International entrepreneurship education. Issues and newness (pp. 74-89). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
19. Forbes, D.P. (2005). Are some entrepreneurs more overconfident than others? Ournal of Business Venturing, 20(5), 623-640.
20. Forret, M. L., & Dougherty, T. W. (2004). Networking behaviors and career outcomes: Differences for men and women?. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25(3), 419-437.
21. Frese, M. (2009). Toward a psychology of entrepreneurship-an action theory perspective. Foundations and Trends in Entrepreneurship, 5, 437- 496.
22. Fry, F.L. (1993). Entrepreneurship: A Planning Approach. West Publishing Company.
23. Ghasemi, J., Asadi, A., & Hoseininia, GH. (2009). Investigating factors affecting entrepreneurial mentality of Tehran University’s graduate students. Iranian Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development Research, 40(2), August (in Persian).
24. Hajimirrahimi, S., & Noruzi, D. (2015). Study of the student's entrepreneurial competencies at agricultural applied-science courses; A case study of the Imam Khomeini higher education center, IHEC. Iran Agricultural Extension and Education Journal, 10(2), 67-90 (in Persian).
25. Hosseini, S. M., Kalantari, K., & Eskandari, F. (2008). The role of Iranian higher education system on entrepreneurial success of its graduates: Some policy implications for entrepreneurship education. American Eurasian Journal, 3(3), 394-402.
26. Kernis, M.H. (2003). Toward a conceptualization of optimal self-esteem. Psychological Inquiry, 14, 1-26.
27. Klyver, K., & Foley, D. (2012). Networking and culture in entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 24(7-8), 561-588.
28. Krueger, N. F. (2003). The cognitive psychology of entrepreneurship. In Z. J. Acs & D. B. Audretsch (Eds.). Handbook of entrepreneurship research: An interdisciplinary survey and introduction (pp. 105–140), London: Kluwer.
29. Krueger, N., Reilly, M., & Carsrud, A. (2000). Competing models of entrepreneurial intentions. Journal of Business Venturing, 15, 411-432.
30. Laguna, M. (2013). Self‐efficacy, self‐esteem, and entrepreneurship among the unemployed. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 43(2), 253-262.
31. Liñán, F., Rodríguez-Cohard, J. C., & Rueda-Cantuche, J. M. (2011). Factors affecting entrepreneurial intention levels: A role for education. International entrepreneurship and management Journal, 7(2), 195-218.
32. Macko, A., & Tyszka, T. (2009). Entrepreneurship and risk taking. Applied Psychology an International Review, 58, 469-487.
33. Markham, G., Balkin, D., & Baron, R. (2002). Inventors and new venture formation: The effects of general self-efficacy and regretful thinking. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 27(2), 149-165.
34. Navehebrahim, A., & Tandiseh, A. (2009). Study of entrepreneurship indexes among students in the final year of the three branches of theoretical, technical, professional and Kardanesh (Garmsar city secondary schools). Quarterly Journal of Educational Leadership & Administration, 2(2),133-146(in Persian).
35. Neghabi, S., Zafarian, R., Yosefi., M., & Rezani, M. (2012). Determining the role of networking behavior in relation to entrepreneurial behavior. Journal of Entrepreneurship Development, 5(1), 25-43(in Persian).
36. Nemati, M.A. (2013). Investigating student’s entrepreneur personal characteristics in Tehran governmental universities. Quarterly Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 1(3), 47-64 (in Persian).
37. Pines, A. M., Dvir, D., & Sadeh, A. (2012). Dispositional antecedents, job correlates and performance outcomes of entrepreneur’s risk taking. International Journal of Entrepreneurship, 16, 95.
38. Rauch, A., & Frese, M. (2007). Let’s put the person back into entrepreneurship research: A meta-analysis on the relationship between business owners’ personality traits, business creation, and success. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 16(4), 353-385.
39. Safa, L., & Mangeli, N. (2015). The effect of entrepreneurial self-efficacy on agricultural students ‘entrepreneurial intention at University of Zanjan. Agricultural Education Administration Research, 7(33), 3-15(in Persian).
40. Schmidt, C. (2011). Factors influencing entrepreneurship. Retrieved from http://www.grin.com/en/e-book/204296/factors-influencing-entrepreneurship.
41. Segal, G., Borgia, D., & Schoenfeld, J. (2002). Using social cognitive career theory to predict self-employment goals. New England Journal of Entrepreneurship, 5(2), 47-56.
42. Shook, C. L., Priem, R. L., & McGee, J. E. (2003). Venture creation and the enterprising individual: A review and synthesis. Journal of Management, 29, 379-399.
43. Singh, R., Hills, G., Hybels, R., & Lumpkin, G. (1999). Opportunity recognition through social network characteristics of entrepreneurs. Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research, 228-241.
44. Wagner, J., & Sternberg, R. (2004). Start-up activities, individual characteristics, and the regional milieu: lessons for entrepreneurship support policies from German micro data. Annals of Regional Science, 38 (2), 219-240.
45. Wang, C., Wong, P., & Lu, Q. (2002). Tertiary education and entrepreneurial intentions. In P. Phan (Ed.). Technological entrepreneurship (pp. 55–82). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
46. Wilson, F., Kickul, J., & Marlino, D. (2007). Gender, entrepreneurial self‐efficacy, and entrepreneurial career intentions: Implications for entrepreneurship Education1. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 31(3), 387-406.
47. Wolff, H., Moser, K., & Grau, A. (2008). Networking: Theoretical foundations and construct validity. Readings in applied organizational behavior from the Luneburg Symposium.
48. Yazdanpanah, M., Khosravipuor, B., Mohammadi, Z., & Dehghanpour, M. (2016). Studying of intention of undergraduate's student of Khuzestan Ramin University of Agriculture and Natural Resources toward entrepreneurship. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Agriculture. 3(2), 77-90 (in Persian).
49. Zhao, X., Frese, M., & Giardini, A. (2010). Business owners’ network size and business growth in China: The role of comprehensive social competency. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 22(7/8), 675-705.
50. Zolali, N., Khosravipuor, B., & Zare, A. (2015). Problems from the perspective of agricultural employment alumni executives. Agricultural Education Administration Research, 7(33), 73-83(in Persian).

  • Receive Date 06 March 2023
  • Publish Date 06 March 2023