VALUES, PERCEIVED FEASIBILITY, AND ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION AMONG STUDENTS AT AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, NIGERIA

Abstract

This research investigates the intricate relationship between personal values, perceived feasibility, and entrepreneurial intention among students at Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as the overarching theoretical framework, the study focuses on two key personal values—conservation and openness to change and their direct and mediated effects on students' inclination toward entrepreneurial activities. The study employs a quantitative research design with a sample size of 376 students, utilizing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) for data analysis. A structured questionnaire is administered to collect data on personal values, perceived feasibility, and entrepreneurial intention. The questionnaire is designed to capture nuanced insights into the students' attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and their perceptions of the feasibility of entrepreneurship in alignment with their personal values. The findings of this study revealed that conservation values were negative and insignificant to entrepreneurial intention of students, while openness to change and perceived feasibility was positive and significant to entrepreneurial intention. For the mediation, the result revealed that perceived feasibility mediates the relationship between openness to change and entrepreneurial intention positive and significant while fail to mediate the relationship between conservation to entrepreneurial intention. The results are expected to shed light on how students' conservation and openness to change values influence their attitudes toward entrepreneurship, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Practical implications of this research include tailored interventions for promoting entrepreneurial education and fostering a supportive environment for students with diverse personal values. The study's insights can inform educators, policymakers, and entrepreneurship program developers about effective strategies for encouraging entrepreneurial mindsets among students. Ultimately, this research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on entrepreneurial intention and offers valuable insights that can be applied in academic and practical contexts.