Drives and Deterrence Influencing Entrepreneurial Intention: A Perception of University Students in Bangladesh

The employment situation of youth is globally characterized by high unemployment, underemployment and lower quality jobs. These aspects contribute to the risk of social unrest, detachment from labor market and loss of faith in social progress. In the context of Bangladesh, the unemployment rate of the age group of 15 to 29 with tertiary education is the highest. To facilitate the engagement of the growing number of young job seekers, entrepreneurship has gained attention. Entrepreneurship is a significant component of development concerns as it provides innovation, creates new employment opportunities, and leads to increased economic and social wealth in the country. Latest focus of research is on university graduates with the aim to predict their entrepreneurial behaviors in the future. The literature reveals that most of the studies in Bangladesh focused on the problems and prospects of young entrepreneurs but very few researches have been done to address the youth intention to become entrepreneur. Therefore, this study will uncover the perception of university students regarding the drives and deterrence influencing their entrepreneurial intention. To conduct the research the primary data was collected from 400 final year undergraduate students using non-probability purposive sampling technique through self-administered questionnaire. The drives and deterrence were reduced using a multivariate statistical technique like Factor Analysis. The analysis identified the significant factors which motivates as well as demotivates the entrepreneurial intention and categorized them accordingly. This paper will facilitate the policy makers, educational institutions and researchers by suggesting several implementable strategies in major areas for the promotion of entrepreneurship in developing counties like Bangladesh.