Entrepreneurial intentions: Demographic perspectives of South African business students

Abstract

Entrepreneurial intentions shown by different individuals vary depending on their demographic profile. In an attempt to understand the underlying factors contributing to the low levels of entrepreneurial activity in South Africa, this study focuses on whether individuals possessing certain demographic attributes are more likely to display entrepreneurial intentions than those who do not.
The sample consisted of undergraduate business students from three South African Universities. Respondents were identified by means of convenience sampling. The statistical analysis was undertaken on 447 usable questionnaires. Chi-Square statistics were calculated to determine the significant relationships between the demographic variables and entrepreneurial intentions.
The empirical results of this study show that the demographic variables University attended, Level of study and Ethnicity have a significant influence on the intentions of respondents to start their own businesses.