A Conceptual Model of Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) and Entrepreneurial Career Intentions (ECI) among Female Undergraduates

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is a critical pillar in elevating Malaysia to a high-income nation. Hence, considerable effort has been directed toward encouraging entrepreneurship. Despite numerous initiatives and resources to encourage entrepreneurship, uptake among Malaysians, particularly women, remains low. In fact, female entrepreneurship may pave the way to ending graduate unemployment and underemployment. Therefore, it is deemed vital to examine the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) of undergraduates, which leads to entrepreneurial career intention (ECI). Thus, the purpose of this study is to discover the roles of individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) (innovativeness, risk-taking propensity, proactiveness) and two emerging dimensions, perseverance, and entrepreneurial passion, in shaping ECI via the mediating role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE). The study contributes to the entrepreneurial orientation body of knowledge by examining the multidimensional conceptualization of IEO. It also adds to the IEO literature by recognizing two new dimensions, namely perseverance and entrepreneurial passion, embedded into the IEO construct. The study's findings are expected to foster an understanding of the phenomena of ECI among female undergraduates, which would lay the foundation for boosting women’s participation in entrepreneurship.

Keywords

• entrepreneurial career intention (eci)
• female undergraduates
• individual entrepreneurial orientation (ieo)