The Effect of Media and Social Capital on Entrepreneurial Intention and Behaviour: Does Gender Really Matter?

High unemployment rates have increased the importance of entrepreneurship. As a result, encouraging individuals to become self-employed is considered a viable solution for job creation. Since entrepreneurial activity is driven primarily by individuals’ intentions, it is vital to identify and assess the drivers of entrepreneurial intention and behaviour. This will help policymakers to develop and implement support programmes that could assist individuals to start their own businesses. This study examined how media, social capital, and gender influence the key determinants of entrepreneurial intention and intention among university of technology and TVET college students in Gauteng, South Africa. Additionally, the study investigated the effects of perceived behavioural control and entrepreneurial intention on entrepreneurial behaviour. Data were collected from 496 final-year TVET and university of technology students using a structured, self-administered online questionnaire. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was applied to test the hypotheses. Media and social capital were positively related to all the three determinants of entrepreneurial intention: attitude towards entrepreneurship, perceived behavioural control, and subjective norms. While the media directly and significantly influences entrepreneurial intention, social capital does not. Gender was negatively related to both attitude towards entrepreneurship and perceived behavioural control but showed no significant impact on subjective norms. Attitude towards entrepreneurship and perceived behavioural control significantly influenced entrepreneurial intention, while subjective norms showed no significant effect. Entrepreneurial intention and perceived behavioural control had a direct, positive relationship with entrepreneurial behaviour. Attitude towards entrepreneurship and perceived behavioural control partially mediated the effects of the media on entrepreneurial intention. Perceived behavioural control partially mediated the effects of social capital on entrepreneurial intention. These findings suggest that leveraging both the media and social capital while accounting for gender differences could have a positive influence on entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial activity. These findings are valuable for entrepreneurship educators and policymakers in their efforts to implement interventions aimed at encouraging the youth to pursue entrepreneurship.