Comparison of entrepreneurial intentions among students and employees

Abstract

The paper tackles the comparison of entrepreneurial intentions among students and employees in Serbia. A t-test was applied to compare individual entrepreneurial orientation dimensions, achievement dimension, and theory of planned behaviour dimensions (including entrepreneurship intention dimension). The analysis also encompassed gender as the subject's control variable. The main conclusions are 1. Risk-taking dimension, Proactiveness, and Achievement have statistically significantly higher average values for employees than for students. Students have statistically significantly higher average values of the following dimensions: Personal attitude, Subjective norm, and Entrepreneurial intention. Dimensions Innovativeness and Perceived behavioural control are equally present in both students and employees. 2. Results for female students and female employees show identical results as for the total sample. Results for male students and male employees differentiate in that the male employees' attitudes toward entrepreneurship remain high even though they have a job. 3. The highest values for Personal attitude and Entrepreneurial intention dimensions are achieved by male students, and thereafter by female students, male employees, and the lowest by female employees. 4. The minimum difference between entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions is among male students, whereas the maximum difference between entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions emerge with male employees.

The potential of digital entrepreneurship in Serbia

“…Students have the greatest inclination to entrepreneurship, while employees have not shown so much interest. (Rajković et al, 2020) Despite the fact that most research indicates a positive correlation between education and people's propensity for entrepreneurship, there are also studies that indicate that in certain cases education can have negative effects on people's propensity for entrepreneurship. A study conducted by Nabi et al (2010) concluded that people with higher education show lower levels of propensity for entrepreneurship compared to people with secondary or lower education.…”