ASSESSING ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENT AMONGST MANAGEMENT STUDENTS

In recent years, global employment rates have experienced stagnation and decline, particularly among management graduates. Consequently, there has been an increased emphasis on fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and intent among students as an alternative pathway to traditional employment. Entrepreneurial start-ups have been widely promoted as a panacea to address unemployment challenges. Existing literature suggests that targeted entrepreneurial education can significantly enhance students’ entrepreneurial intentions. In response, many higher education institutions have expanded entrepreneurship curricula across various academic levels. However, most research on entrepreneurial intent remains cross-sectional, with limited longitudinal studies examining how entrepreneurial intent evolves across different stages of management qualifications within faculties of Management Sciences. This gap restricts understanding of how academic experiences and personal development influence entrepreneurial intentions over time. The present cross-sectional study, therefore, seeks to assess the entrepreneurial intent of undergraduate students at different levels of their diploma studies within a Management Science Faculty. Entrepreneurial intent is employed as a proxy for entrepreneurial behavior. Utilizing a quantitative methodology, the study sampled 412 undergraduate students through stratified sampling across diverse Management programs. Findings indicate that students’ entrepreneurial intent is significantly influenced by their progression through the undergraduate program, highlighting the role of educational and experiential factors in shaping entrepreneurial aspirations.