Motivators and barriers to the entrepreneurial intentions of university students: are there any differences between business and non-business students?

Purpose This study investigates the motivators and barriers affecting the entrepreneurial intentions of university students within a new conceptual framework and how these variables differ between students of business administration and those other specializations. Design/methodology/approach This quantitative study is based on a questionnaire administered to students in four different universities in Turkiye; factor analysis and statistical regression techniques were applied to analyze the data. Findings The factors influencing university students’ entrepreneurial intentions vary and have significant effects across business and non-business university departments. Originality/value As there is limited research on this topic in developing countries, particularly in Turkiye, this study makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the entrepreneurship dynamics in these contexts. Furthermore, we demonstrate that government measures should be integrated into educational systems to promote entrepreneurial pathways for students and reduce graduate unemployment.