An Entrepreneurial Case Study from Australia

Scholars have long sought to address the challenging question as to why some individuals start their own business and engage in entrepreneurship, while others do not. Yet it is this entrepreneurship that plays a vital part in social and economic development. It is not surprising then that research has focused on determining what leads to entrepreneurial intention. This article explores why some intend to become entrepreneurs, while others are reluctant. Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour was employed in order to decipher the intentional behaviours. A convenient sample of 467 university students were surveyed. Findings suggest (not surprisingly) that business students have a higher propensity to create their own businesses than do non-business students. Males are more likely to create their own business, as do international students. Using Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modelling, findings indicate that behavioural, normative and perceived control beliefs have a significant positive effect on the intention to become an entrepreneur. Perceived Control Beliefs have the highest impact on intention, followed by Behavioural Beliefs and Normative Beliefs, respectively. Some practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.