Entrepreneurial intentions among university students in Italy

Purpose: In Italy, thousands of university graduates intend to engage in job being their first choice rather to start their own businesses. The aim of this study is to explore university students’ entrepreneurial mindset and their intentions for starting a new business by investigating the deterring factors which restrict them to go towards self-employment. Methodology: The primary data were collected by a self-prepared questionnaire to assess the role of explanatory factors such as gender, age, degree, department, previous education, previous grades, job experience, business experience, family background, entrepreneurial education, personality traits (Five Factor Model), finance and government support with the dependent variable “entrepreneurial intentions”. The data was then analysed using multiple regression model. Findings: Gender, family background, entrepreneurial education, extraversion, agreeableness, and openness to experience showed positive results while age, previous grades, and neuroticism showed a negative relationship with entrepreneurial intentions. Limitations: This study was limited to its sample population and the set of explanatory variables which can be extended in the future research. Originality: This study fulfils the need to identify the factors which play a significant role in influencing the students’ entrepreneurial mindset. This is a latest study with the selected factors in the context of the Italian university students.