Factors Influencing E-Entrepreneurial Intention among Female Students in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Entrepreneurship has attracted enhanced attention in the twenty-first century. Entrepreneurial schemes vary the production and service sectors of a country's economy and lead it to increase its revenues and materialize speedy growth and development. However, the current Saudi regime has allowed enhanced social space to females, and a new social environment has paved the way for them to partake business opportunities actively. Thus, the aim of this study is to explore the direct impact of perceived social support towards e-entrepreneurial intention as well as the direct influence of perceived social support on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) components encompass attitude towards entrepreneurial, subjective norms, and self-efficacy of entrepreneurship. Also, this study examines the direct effect of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) components (attitude towards entrepreneurial, subjective norms, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy). Data were collected through questionnaires which were completed by 534 undergraduate female Saudi students have been selected randomly studying at various Saudi universities. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the model, and data analysis was carried out using Structural Equation Modelling – Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS). This study, therefore revealed that perceived social support has a positive impact on the e-entrepreneurship intention as well as the relationship between perceived social support and the components of the TPB (attitude towards entrepreneurial intention, subjective norms, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy) were statistically significant. Subsequently, the direct effect of the TPB components (attitude towards entrepreneurial and entrepreneurial self-efficacy) was significant, while the direct effect related to subjective norms and the e-entrepreneurial intention was insignificant. Therefore, this study offers theoretical and practical contributions to entrepreneurial studies.

Dreaming digital or chasing new real pathways? Unveiling the determinants shaping Saudi youth's digital entrepreneurial intention

“…(2020) have identified, through a systematic literature review and citation and thematic analyses, 11 theoretical frameworks to examine, for example, the e-entrepreneurial intention to start an online business according to personality traits, risk and trust, motivation, educational background. Furthermore, previous research has focused on various theoretical paradigms and perspectives including TPB (Farani et al ., 2017; Alzamel et al ., 2020; Al-Mamary and Alraja, 2022; Lai and To, 2020), Entrepreneurial Attitude Orientation (Batool et al ., 2015), goal setting theory (Chang et al ., 2018), positive thinking mindset perspective (Chang et al ., 2020), capital theory (Mir et al ., 2022), self-determination theory and motivation perspective (Wang et al ., 2016; Yeh et al ., 2020) or the use of fuzzy cognitive maps (Ladeira et al ., 2019) to investigate the antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions towards technology driven and Internet-based entrepreneurship. Other studies used different perspectives of antecedents to influence DEI: financial literacy and digital literacy (Bayrakdaroğlu and Bayrakdaroğlu, 2017); entrepreneurship education and external enabler mechanisms in the digital environment and online collaborative learning (KrischananKampanthong, 2021), digital entrepreneurship education, DEK and entrepreneurial inspiration (Wibowo and Narmaditya, 2022).…”

“…Regarding DEI, several empirical studies investigated its determinants from the perspective of TPB in developed countries (Taiwan: Chang et al ., 2020; Tseng et al ., 2022; China: Lai and To, 2020). Other studies were conducted in developing countries, such as Pakistan (Batool et al ., 2015); Indonesia (Darmanto et al ., 2022); Iran (Farani et al ., 2017); Kosovo (Ramadani et al ., 2021); Romania, Malaysia and Bangladesh (Ashraf et al ., 2021) and particularly in Saudi Arabia (Alferaih, 2022; Al-Mamary and Alraja, 2022; Alzamel et al ., 2020). Our understanding of DEI is guided by the TPB of Ajzen (1991), as one of the most influential theories in the field to provide a useful framework for understanding the complexities of human social behaviour (Ajzen, 1991; Kautonen et al ., 2015) and in particular those of digital entrepreneurial behaviour.…”

“…The TPB antecedents were found to significantly relate to an individual's intention to Internet entrepreneurship (Wang and Lin, 2016); digital entrepreneurship (Al-Mamary and Alraja, 2022; Farani et al ., 2017; Ramadani et al ., 2021) or e-entrepreneurship (Alzamel et al ., 2020). The previously mentioned studies, which used TPB in digital entrepreneurship, found that ATB, followed by PBC and then by SNs are among the most influencers of digital entrepreneurship-related intentions of individuals (Wang and Lin, 2016; Farani et al ., 2017; Tseng et al ., 2022).…”

Entrepreneurship development in universities across Gulf Cooperation Council countries: a systematic review of the research and way forward

“…Prominent areas of impact are covered in articles forming this cluster. The key findings emerging from the research pursuits of authors highlighted entrepreneurial intention (Alzamel et al , 2020; Hammami et al , 2021), entrepreneurial motivation (Almobaireek and Manolova, 2013) and entrepreneurial skills (Khan and Krishnamurthy, 2016).…”

Digital entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education: a review of the literature

“…The significant relation found between extrinsic motivation through social support on DE intention for female students in Saudi Arabia could be further underpinned with suitable educational interventions (Alzamel et al. , 2020), while, education can promote DE intentions of unemployed women in India (Mand et al.…”