Environmental factors and the formation of students' entrepreneurial intentions: perspectives from Zambia

Abstract

In Zambia, 33 percent of the population is not employed, and 16.3 percent are youths (15 to 35 years). Statistics suggest that the number of youths not in employment has increased every year by 1.1 percent on average. Additionally, the number of unemployed graduates is also increasing. To address this unemployment problem, the Zambian government has identified the promotion of entrepreneurial activities as a mitigating measure to create jobs for the youths and grow the economy. The research question asked is: “To what extent do entrepreneurial environmental factors in the form of perceived environmental support, perceived university support and entrepreneurship education affect the antecedents of EIs entrepreneurial intentions (risk-taking, innovativeness and proactivity) and entrepreneurial intentions?” To resolve the limitations observed in the literature on entrepreneurial intentions, the study adopted and tested Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour model using primary data. The primary data was collected from a sample of 380 MU students in Zambia using a closed-ended self-administered questionnaire from February to June 2020. For data analysis, SPSS v.21, STATA 14 and Hayes process were utilised to generate descriptive statistics: confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis, SEM . Although previous studies reported a direct relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (innovativeness, proactivity and risk-taking) and EIs, results could not reach statistical significance in some cases. On the contrary, the antecedent variable of proactivity was observed not to predict entrepreneurial intention like innovativeness and the statements associated with risk-taking. Innovativeness was observed to mediate the relationship between PES and EI2. Similarly, RST3 was also directly related to EI2 and mediated the relationship between PES and EI2 and PUE associated with infrastructure and EI2. RST2 was observed to predict EIs and mediate the relationship between PUE associated with infrastructure and EIs. Lastly, gender was observed to moderate the relationship between innovativeness and EIs for male and female students. This study contributes to the existing body of literature by highlighting the difference between immediate and future EIs and also by conducting mediation and moderation tests using the Hayes process. Based on the above findings, recommendations have been made regarding the revision of EE, development national policy and infrastructure to promote EE in universities.

EZambia, bantfu labangemaphesenti langu-33 abasebenti, futsi labangamaphesenti langu-16,3 ngebantfu labasha (iminyaka lengu-15 kuya kulengu-35). Tibalo tiphakamisa kutsi sibalo sebantfu labasha labangasebenti senyuke njalo ngemnyaka ngemaphesenti langu-1.1 ngekwesilinganiso. Ngetulu kwaloko, sibalo sebantfu labaneticu labangasebenti siyandza. Kute kubukwane nalenkinga yekungabikhona kwemisebenti, hulumende waseZambia ubone kugcugcutelwa kwemisebenti yebhizinisi njengendlela yekunciphisalesimo ngekudala ematfuba emisebenti ebantfwini labasha nekukhulisa umnotfo. Umbuto welucwaningo lobutiwe utsi: “Ngabe timbangela tetemvelo kumabhizinisi ngendlela yekwesekelwa lokucatjangwako kwetemvelo, kwesekelwa lokucatjangwako kwenyuvesi kanye nemfundvo yetemabhizinisi tinemtselela longakanani kwandvulela tinhloso tebhizinisi tema-EI (kutsatsa bungoti, kusungula tintfo letisha kanye nekusebenta kamatima) kanye netinhloso tebhizinisi?” Kute kucatululwe kulinganiselwa lokuphawulwe etincwadzini letiphatselene netinhloso tebhizinisi, lucwaningo lwemukele futsi lwahlola umbono wa-Ajzen wemodeli yekutiphatsa lehleliwe kusetjentiswa idatha lesisekelo. Idatha lesisekelo igcogcwe kusampula yebafundzi labangu-380 MU e-Zambia kusetjentiswa luhlu lwemibuto loluvalekile lolutiphetse kusuka ngaFebhuwari kuya kuJuni 2020. Kute kuhlatiywe idatha, kusetjentiswe i-SPSS v.21, i-STATA 14 kanye nenchubo yaHayes kute kukhicitwe tibalo letichazako: kuhlatiya imbangela lecinisekisako nalehlolako, i-SEM. Nanabe tfundvo tangaphambilini tibike budlelwano lobucondzile phakatsi kwekuma kwetemabhizinisi (kusungula tintfo letisha, kusebenta kahle kanye nekutsatsa ingoti) kanye nema-El, imiphumela ayikakhoni kufinyelela itwekubaluleka kwetibalo kuletinye timo. Ngalokuphambene, kwehluka lokwendvulelako kwekusebenta kwabonwa kute kungabiketeli inhloso yebhizinisi njengelikhono lekucamba kanye netitatimende letihambisana nekutsatsa ingoti. Likhono lekucamba lwabonwa kute kulanyulwe budlelwano phakatsi kwe-PES ne-EI2. Ngalokufanako, i-RST3 nayo beyihlobene ngalokucondzile ne-EI2 futsi yalamula budlelwano phakatsi kwe-PES ne-EI2 kanye ne-PUE lehlobene nesakhiwoncanti kanye ne-EI2. I-RST2 yacashelwa kute ibiketele ema-Els futsi ilamule budlelwano phakatsi kwe-PUE lehlotjaniswa nesakhiwoncanti nema-EI. Kwekugcina, bulili bubukiwe kute kulinganiswe budlelwano phakatsi kwekusungula tintfo letinsha kanye nema-EI kubafundzi labadvuna nalabasikati. Lolucwaningo lunelugalelo endzikimbeni lekhona yetincwadzi ngekukhombisa umehluko phakatsi kwema-EI lasedvute nawesikhatsi lesitako kanye nekwenta tivivinyo tekulamula nekulinganisa kusetjentiswa inchubo yaHayes. Ngekuya ngaloku lokutfolwe ngetulu, tincomo tentiwe mayelana nekubuyeketwa kwe-EE, kutfutfukiswa kwenchubomgomo yavelonkhe nesakhiwoncanti kute kutfutfukiswe i-EE emanyuvesi.

EZambia, amaphesenti angama-33 enani labantu elingaqashiwe, futhi amaphesenti angu-16,3 yintsha (iminyaka eyi-15 kuya kwengama-35). Izibalo ziphakamisa ukuthi isibalo sentsha engasebenzi sikhule njalo ngonyaka ngamaphesenti ayi-1.1 ngokwesilinganiso. Ukwengeza, isibalo sabafundi abaphothule iziqu abangasebenzi siyanda. Ukuze kubhekwane nale nkinga yokuntuleka kwemisebenzi, uhulumeni waseZambia uhlonze ukugqugquzelwa kwemisebenzi yezamabhizinisi njengendlela yokunciphisa ukudala amathuba emisebenzi entsheni nokukhulisa umnotho. Umbuzo wocwaningo obuziwe uthi: “Izinga elingakanani izici zezemvelo zezamabhizinisi ngendlela yokusekelwa okucatshangwayo kwezemvelo, ukusekelwa okucatshangwayo kwemfundo ephakeme kanye nemfundo yezamabhizinisi kuthinta okwandulela izinhloso zebhizinisi ze-EIs (ukuthatha ubungozi, ukusungula izinto ezintsha kanye nokusebenza kahle) kanye nezinhloso zezamabhizinisi?” Ukuze kuxazululwe ukulinganiselwa okuphawulwe ezincwadini eziphathelene nezinhloso zezamabhizinisi, ucwaningo lwamukele futhi lwahlola umbono ka-Ajzen wesifanekiso sokuziphatha esihleliwe lusebenzisa imininingwane eyisisekelo. Imininingwane eyinhloko yaqoqwa kusampula yabafundi abangama-380 be-MU e-Zambia kusetshenziswa uhlu lwemibuzo oluvalekile oluzilawulayo kusukela ngoNhlolanja kuya kuNhlangulana 2020. Ukuze kuhlaziywe imininingwane, i-SPSS v.21, STATA 14 kanye nenqubo kaHayes kwasetshenziswa ukuze kukhishwe izibalo ezichazayo: ukuhlaziya isici esiqinisekisayo nesihlolayo, i-SEM. Nakuba izifundo zangaphambilini zibike ubudlelwano obuqondile phakathi kokuzijwayeza kwezamabhizinisi (ukusungula izinto ezintsha, ukusebenza kahle kanye nokuthatha ingozi) kanye nama-EI, imiphumela ayikwazanga ukufinyelela ukubaluleka kwezibalo kwezinye izimo. Ngokuphambene, ukwahluka okwandulelayo kokusebenza kwaqashelwa ukuze kungabikezeli inhloso yezamabhizinisi njengokusungula izinto ezintsha kanye nezitatimende ezihambisana nokuthatha ingozi. Ukusungula okusha kwaqashelwa ukuze kuxazulule ubudlelwano phakathi kwe-PES ne-EI2. Ngokufanayo, i-RST3 nayo yayihlobene ngokuqondile ne-EI2 futhi yaxazulula ubudlelwano phakathi kwe-PES ne-EI2 kanye ne-PUE ehlobene nengqalasizinda kanye ne-EI2. I-RST2 yaqashelwa ukuze ibikezele ama-EI futhi ixazulule ubudlelwano phakathi kwe-PUE ehlotshaniswa nengqalasizinda nama-EI. Okokugcina, ubulili buqashelwe ukuze kulinganiswe ubudlelwano phakathi kokusungula izinto ezintsha kanye nama-EI kubafundi besilisa nabesifazane. Lolu cwaningo lunomthelela endikimbeni ekhona yezincwadi ngokugqamisa umehluko phakathi kwama-EI aseduze nawesikhathi esizayo kanye nokwenza izivivinyo zokuxazulula nokulinganisa kusetshenziswa inqubo kaHayes. Ngokusekelwe kulokhu okutholwe ngenhla, iziphakamiso zenziwe mayelana nokubuyekezwa kwe-EE, ukuthuthukiswa kwenqubomgomo kazwelonke nengqalasizinda ukuze kuthuthukiswe i-EE ezimfundweni eziphakeme.