Promoting self-employment intentions among business and technology students: does social support matter

This study is based on two objectives. First, to examine the association of organisational (institution) support with students' entrepreneurial self-efficacy and self-employment intentions. Second, to examine how social support influences this nexus. The responses were collected from the senior students of business and technology programs at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the eastern region of India. The PROCESS Macro was used for testing the hypothesised relationships. Results confirmed the mediating effect of entrepreneurial self-efficacy in the relationship between organisational (institution) support and students' self-employment intentions. Also, the direct relationship between entrepreneurial self-efficacy and self-employment intentions was positively influenced by social support. The moderated mediation results confirmed that the students who perceived favourable social support for business related career were more likely to acknowledge the entrepreneurial support offered by the institute in realising their capabilities. Findings provide insights for policymakers, researchers, managers of the HEI in strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem.