Predicting entrepreneurial intentions based on a proactive personality and perceived motivators and obstacles

Abstract

Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je utvrditi odnos poduzetničkih namjera, proaktivne ličnosti, percipiranih motivatora i prepreka za pokretanje vlastitog poslovanja i demografskih varijabli te utvrditi doprinos navedenih varijabli objašnjenju poduzetničkih namjera studenata. Dodatni cilj rada bio je preliminarno utvrditi valjanost Upitnika motivatora i Upitnika prepreka s kojima su mladi suočeni prilikom osnivanja vlastitog poslovanja. Istraživanje je provedeno na 364 studenata različitih sveučilišta i veleučilišta u Republici Hrvatskoj. Poduzetničke namjere ispitane su Mjerom poduzetničkih namjera, proaktivna ličnost Skalom proaktivne ličnosti te percipirani motivatori i prepreke Upitnikom motivatora za pokretanje vlastitog poslovanja i Upitnikom prepreka u pokretanju vlastitog poslovanja. Dobiveni rezultati ukazuju na četverofaktorsku strukturu motivatora i prepreka za pokretanje vlastitog poslovanja. Provedenom faktorskom analizom Upitnika motivatora za pokretanje vlastitog poslovanja zadržala su se četiri faktora (Osobna autonomija, Sigurnost posla, Ekonomski i psihosocijalni kapital te Socijalni utjecaji). Njima se objašnjava ukupno 63.11% varijance manifestnih varijabli. Nadalje, faktorskom analizom Upitnika prepreka u pokretanju vlastitog poslovanja zadržala su se, također, četiri faktora kojima se objašnjava 60.71% varijance. To su Poslovni rizici, Nedostatak vještina i znanja, Nedostatak socijalne podrške te Nedostatak financijskog kapitala. Rezultati t-testova su pokazali kako mlađi studenti i studenti preddiplomskih studija imaju izraženije poduzetničke namjere od svojih starijih kolega, te da se prema spolnim razlikama, studenti i studentice ne razlikuju prema poduzetničkim namjerama. Utvrđeno je postojanje statistički značajne pozitivne korelacije poduzetničkih namjera s proaktivnom ličnosti, percipiranim motivatorima (osobnom autonomijom, ekonomskim i psihosocijalnim kapitalom te socijalnim utjecajima), dok su dob, godina studija i percipirane prepreke za pokretanje vlastitog poslovanja (poslovni rizici, nedostatak vještina i znanja, nedostatak socijalne podrške te nedostatak financijskog kapitala) u značajnoj negativnoj korelaciji s poduzetničkim namjerama. Provedenom regresijskom analizom pokazalo se da faktori proaktivna ličnost, osobna autonomija, socijalni utjecaji, poslovni rizici te nedostatak poslovnih vještina i znanja objašnjavaju ukupno 45.5% varijance poduzetničkih namjera, a najboljim prediktorom poduzetničkih namjera pokazala se Osobna autonomija.t The aim of this research was to determine the relationship between entrepreneurial intentions, proactive personality, perceived motivators and obstacles to starting an own business, demographic variables and to determine the contribution of these variables to the explanation of students' entrepreneurial intentions. An additional goal of the paper was to preliminarily determine the validity of the Questionnaire of Motivators and the Questionnaire of Obstacles to starting an own business. The research was conducted on 364 students from different universities and polytechnics in Republic of Croatia. Entrepreneurial intentions were examined by the Measure of Entrepreneurial Intentions, proactive personality by the Proactive Personality Scale and perceived motivators and obstacles by the Questionnaire of motivators for starting an own business and the Questionnaire of obstacles in starting an own business. The results indicate a four-factor structure of motivators and obstacles to starting an own business. The factor analysis of the Questionnaire of motivators retained four factors (Personal autonomy, Job security, Economic and psychosocial capital, and Social influences). They explain a total of 63.11% of the variance of manifest variables. Furthermore, the factor analysis of the Questionnaire of Obstacles also retained four factors that explain 60.71% of the variance. These are Business risks, Lack of skills and knowledge, Lack of social support and Lack of financial capital. The results of the t-tests showed that younger students and undergraduate students express more entrepreneurial intentions than their older colleagues, and according to gender differences that female and male students do not differ according to entrepreneurial intentions. There was a statistically significant positive correlation of entrepreneurial intentions with proactive personality, some perceived motivators, while age, year of study and perceived obstacles to starting an own business is in a significant negative correlation with entrepreneurial intentions. The regression analysis showed that the factors Proactive personality, Personal autonomy, Social influences, Business risks and Lack of business skills and knowledge explain a total of 45.5% of the variance of entrepreneurial intentions, and the best predictor of entrepreneurial intentions was Personal autonomy