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International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

Open Access Journal

ISSN: 2222-6990

Exploring Entrepreneurial Interests and Traits among Undergraduate Students

Nur Farahah Mohd Pauzi, Adriana Shamsudin, Khairiah Ahmad, Ainol Sarina Ahmad Zazili, Mohd Ariff Mustafa, Jalaluddin Mohamad Jailani

http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v13-i9/18002

Open access

To date, the Malaysian government has implemented numerous strategies to encourage entrepreneurial activities among university graduates, aiming to equip them with the necessary knowledge, skills, and mindset to establish competitive and viable businesses. However, the number of graduates embarking on entrepreneurship remains low, despite the implementation of various efforts as they considered it a waste of time. Given the growing unemployment rate in the nation due to the unpromising economic situation in the post-COVID-19 era, it is essential to foster entrepreneurial activities among the undergraduate students. In light of this, the purpose of this study was to assess students' knowledge and tolerance of entrepreneurship-related issues in relation to their own entrepreneurial interests and traits. Data was gathered from the self-administered questionnaires distributed to students enrolled in the Diploma in Plantation and Agrotechnology and Diploma in Business Administration programs. A total of 252 undergraduate students responded to the survey. The results indicated a significant positive relationship between self-assessed knowledge and the level of acceptance of entrepreneurship-related issues, which in turn influenced students' entrepreneurial interests and traits. The top entrepreneurial interests and traits possessed by the students were found to be open-mindedness, working well with others, self-motivation, and competitiveness. This information is expected to be useful for the university in developing entrepreneurship programs, with the ultimate aim of providing additional entrepreneurial education and promoting students to venture out and pursue entrepreneurial opportunities. Future research could explore any similarities or differences in entrepreneurial interests and traits among students in other programs which would provide valuable insights to the government and university.

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In-Text Citation: (Pauzi et al., 2023)
To Cite this Article: Pauzi, N. F. M., Shamsudin, A., Ahmad, K., Zazili, A. S. A., Mustafa, M. A., & Jailani, J. M. (2023). Exploring Entrepreneurial Interests and Traits among Undergraduate Students. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(9), 280 – 292.