Assessment of entrepreneurial intentions among students of higher education institutions in Iloilo City: Basis for developing a sustainable entrepreneurship program

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the entrepreneurial intentions of students in Higher Education Institutions in Iloilo City in terms of perceived desirability, self-efficacy assessment, propensity for proactive behavior and triggering events as basis for developing a sustainable entrepreneurship program. The academe's current situation of entrepreneurship program, entrepreneurial start-up support needs, and government provisions were also the factors considered in this study. The study used the mixed methodology. A modified Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire (EIQ) adopted from the works of Lihan (2008), Liñan and Chen (2009), and Liñan, Cohard and Cantuche (2010) was used in collecting the data from 289 students and 62 educators across universities in Iloilo City. This was supported by key informant interviews with administrators of schools offering entrepreneurship program. The mean, standard deviation, t-test for independent samples, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson’s r set at .05 alpha level of significance while thematic analysis was made to analyze the data. Content analysis was made on the relevant documents using Fred David’s (2014) principle and guidelines in analyzing the internal and external environment of the school. Results showed that students have high entrepreneurial intentions, but the presence of significant triggering events was inadequate to stimulate students’ interest to learn entrepreneurship. The students’ entrepreneurial intentions differed according to their educational attainment, school and entrepreneurial experience, and this intention was associated with the academe’s current situation, entrepreneurial start-up support needs and government provisions. It was recommended that a sustainable entrepreneurship program will be developed to improve the entrepreneurship program offering of the school. The program was designed to attract the Ilonggo youth by boosting the students’ entrepreneurial intentions.