Cyber-Entrepreneurial Intentions of the Malaysian University Students
Norhazlin Ismail, Nahariah Jaffar, Tan Siow Hooi
Faculty of Management, Multimedia University
Abstract
Cyber-entrepreneurial interest is a term used to describe the readiness and willingness to become an internet-based self-entrepreneur. With an increase in the number of unemployed in Malaysia which accounted for 521.3 thousand persons in March 2019, choosing cyber-entrepreneur as a career is one option available to the Malaysian especially the graduates as a report mentioned that this is the group that contributes to the highest number of unemployed. Hence, this study aims to explore the cyber-entrepreneurial intentions of the Malaysian University students. Specifically, this study applies the Entrepreneurial Attitude Orientation (EAO) scale to measure the students- entrepreneurial attitude. The EAO attitude subscales are achievement in business, innovation in business, perceived personal control of business outcomes and perceived self-esteem in business. A survey approach was adopted by sending questionnaires to 2000 public and private universities- students in Malaysia. The results show that personal control and self-esteem have significant and positive relationships with cyber-entrepreneurship intention. Achievement and innovation, on the other hand, were not significant. These findings provide important insight to relevant parties to embed more cyber-entrepreneurial curriculum or workshop to educate and guide the universities students.
Keywords: cyber-entrepreneurial, universities students, EAO
Topic: Entrepreneurship