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ABSTRACT
The primary focus of this work is the exploration of the constructs, entrepreneurial intention, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy, as this work may inform entrepreneurship educators and career counselors. A secondary aim is the examination of core self-evaluation within the context of entrepreneurial intention. Little prior research has focused on students in specific business disciplines, and in this study we examine the intention of accounting students who are within 18 months of graduation. The concept of entrepreneurial selfefficacy, one 's belief in capacity to start a business, heretofore has been shown to be highly related to entrepreneurial intention. This particular relationship is explored in detail as well as the contrast in various measures of self-efficacy. Also examined are the relationships among entrepreneurial self-efficacy and intention with performance (collegiate GPA), and job dedication (a measure of work performance). Findings tend to demonstrate the concurrent and construct validity of the attitudinal measure, entrepreneurial self-efficacy. In addition, the study adds to the theory base regarding entrepreneurial intention.
Keywords: Entrepreneurial, Intention, University students, Self-efficacy
INTRODUCTION
The growth and development of small businesses is important for many regions or countries as such activity represents the generation of additional commercial activity. In some places, absolute growth in economic activity results from establishment of small businesses. Interest in the creation of small businesses has led to exploration of how and why individuals self-select to start a business. The topic of one's intention to become an entrepreneur has received considerable attention in the literature of entrepreneurship. The subject is normally referred to as entrepreneurial intention and in recent years several research articles have appeared that address the intention from various points of view to include gender, age, culture, work experience, and others (see, for example, Cha and Bae, (2010). Nearly all of the relevant research is found in the entrepreneur literature.
While some attention has been given to entrepreneurial intention on the part of high school and college students, little attention has been afforded to studying the intentions of college students in specific disciplines. Studies have included samples of students from programs in commerce or business administration, yet there has been practically no research into the intentions of students enrolled in a specific discipline. The present study aims to study the entrepreneurial intentions...