The Prospect of Business Undergraduates’ Intention to Engage in Digital Entrepreneurship: Do the Government Initiative Matters?

Abstract

The synergies between rapid information technology (IT) development and the shifting paradigms of economic transactions have led to the emergence of digital entrepreneurship. This study aims to investigate potential precursors affecting the intention of final-year business students to engage in digital entrepreneurship. This research was examining the IT acceptance among the business students by employing two tailored technology acceptance models (TAM) based on theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and theory of reasoned action (TRA) models. A sample of 302 respondents were analysed using SPSS and Smart-PLS. The results revealed that fresh graduates’ intentions to engage in digital entrepreneurship were significantly influenced by their own attitudes towards IT. The study also reaffirmed that the dimensions of Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour model, among others, attitude towards information technology (IT), perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, subjective norms except perceived risk have a “direct effect” on undergraduates’ interest in an Internet-based business model. Although the results have contributed to the paucity of the empirical research in digital entrepreneurship particularly in the Asian region, the availability of information technology, government resources and support to affect the digital usage and behaviour are not to be underestimated.

Keywords

• digital entrepreneurship
• final-year undergraduate
• theory of planned behaviour
• perceived risk
• Malaysia