Proceedings of 27th International Business Research Conference
12 - 13 June 2014, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada, ISBN: 978-1-922069-53-5
An Exploratory Study of the Entrpreneurial Intentions of
University of Botswana Students
Eresia-Eke, Chukuakadibia and Gunda, Chishuvo
Knowledge of the entrepreneurial intentions of young people is an important
precursor to understanding how to encourage entrepreneurship in any society.
This is especially the case in a human-resource rich African continent, where
economic growth continues to be hampered by a number of issues, of which
unemployment is pre-eminent. The dire situation therefore makes it imperative for
African countries to look towards entrepreneurship as a budding antidote. In the
case of Botswana, some interventions/institutions have been created to boost
entrepreneurship among the youth. This noble goal, unfortunately, has remained
largely elusive. Clearly, this is a major problem; the continued existence of which
may be linked to a tenuous understanding of some of the factors that encourage
entrepreneurship.
In an effort to expose some of the factors related to entrepreneurial intentions, this
study investigated students at the University of Botswana. The study is exploratory
and follows the tenets of applied research as it is geared towards resolving a
practical societal issue. Empirical in nature, this study relied upon primary data
collected in a cross-sectional manner from a sample of final year students at the
University in 2012 / 2013. Study respondents were selected with a non-probability
sampling technique and data was collected using an existing instrument, previously
utilised in similar studies in Europe.
Despite the patriarchal nature of the African society, findings revealed no genderbased differences in entrepreneurial intentions of the students. The study found a
significant positive association between perceptions of existing support from family
and the entrepreneurial intention of the student. Furthermore, the student’s
knowledge of existing entrepreneurship support structures was positively correlated
with entrepreneurial intentions. These findings could have important ramifications
for entrepreneurial policy and programme developers, if the goal of catalysing the
growth of entrepreneurship among youths in Botswana is to be realised.
Name of Track: ‘..Other areas of business studies’ [Entrepreneurship]
______________________________________________
Eresia-Eke, Chukuakadibia and Gunda, Chishuvo, Department of Business Management, University
of Pretoria, South Africa. E-Mail Address: chuks.eresia-eke@up.ac.za.