FACTORS INFLUENCING YOUTHS’ ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION: A CASE STUDY IN THE MEKONG DELTA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEMP.934016Keywords:
Entrepreneurial Intention, Mekong Delta, PLS-SEM, Youth EntrepreneurshipAbstract
Youth entrepreneurship is particularly important in the Mekong Delta, where young people are expected to contribute to local employment, innovation, and the region’s green and digital transformation. However, existing studies on entrepreneurial intention (EI) in Vietnam have mainly focused on major urban areas or single-university samples, while evidence from the Mekong Delta remains limited. Therefore, this study aims to identify the factors influencing EI among youth in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. A mixed-methods research design was adopted, integrating both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Survey data were collected from 188 young individuals who are either currently engaged in or preparing for entrepreneurial activities, using a 5-point Likert scale for measurement. The analysis was conducted using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS, following two stages: assessment of the measurement model and the structural model. The results confirm the reliability of the measurement scales. The model explains 96.1% of the variance in EI (R² = 0.961). All hypotheses were supported at the p < 0.001 level with positive path coefficients: entrepreneurial motivation (EM) (β = 0.298), AT (β = 0.267), entrepreneurship support policies (SP) (β = 0.261), creativity and innovation (CI) (β = 0.245), and perceived behavioral control (PB) (β = 0.234). These findings underscore the prominent role of motivation, along with the importance of attitude, creative capacity, perceived control, and policy effectiveness in shaping EI among youth in the Mekong Delta. Managerial implications suggest prioritizing interventions that nurture motivation, enhance self-efficacy, foster innovation, and improve policy implementation to effectively convert intention into entrepreneurial action.
Downloads
References
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
Anjum, T., Farrukh, M., Heidler, P., & Díaz Tautiva, J. A. (2020). Entrepreneurial intention: Creativity, entrepreneurship, and university support. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 7(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc7010011
Anwar, I., Ahmad, A., Saleem, I., & Yasin, N. (2023). Role of entrepreneurship education, passion and motivation in augmenting Omani students’ entrepreneurial intention: A stimulus-organism-response approach. The International Journal of Management Education, 21(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2023.100842
Aragon-Sanchez, A., Baixauli-Soler, S., & Carrasco-Hernandez, A. J. (2017). A missing link: the behavioral mediators between resources and entrepreneurial intentions. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 23(5), 752-768. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-06-2016-0172
Cuong, N. Q., & Anh, N. M. T. (2022). Factors affecting entrepreneurial intentions among engineering students at industrial university of ho chi minh city. Journal of Science and Technology-IUH, 58(04). https://doi.org/10.46242/jstiuh.v58i04.4495
Dieu, A. H. T., Van Hoang, T. T., Kim, O. T. T., Thu, C. N. T., & Le, N. T. T. (2024). The impact of startup support policies on the readiness and entrepreneurial intentions of youths in North Central Vietnam. Journal of Economics and Development, 329(2), 112–121. Retrieved from https://js.ktpt.edu.vn/index.php/jed/article/view/1936
Duong, C. D. (2022). Exploring the link between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intentions: the moderating role of educational fields. Education+ Training, 64(7), 869-891. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-05-2021-0173
Fan, J., Hu, J., & Wang, J. (2024). How entrepreneurship education affects college students’ entrepreneurial intention: Samples from China. Heliyon, 10(10). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30776
Hair, J. F., Jr., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Danks, N. P., & Ray, S (2021). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using R: A workbook. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80519-7
Hien, V. V. (2021). Research on factors influencing the entrepreneurial intention of students at Tien Giang University. Ho Chi Minh City Open University Journal of Science – Economics and Business Administration, 16(2), 170–192. https://doi.org/10.46223/HCMCOUJS.econ.vi.16.2.578.2021
Ho, A. T. D., Tran, N. L. T., Hoang, T. T. C., & Nguyen, T. M. V. (2024). Impact of Entrepreneurship Education and Policy on Vietnamese Youth’s Entrepreneurship Readiness and Intentions. International Review of Management and Marketing, 14(6), 156. https://doi.org/10.32479/irmm.17276
Likhert, R. (1932). A technique for the measurement of attitudes. Archives of Psychology, 22(140), 1–55.
Linh, N. T. M., Le, T. T. H., Thuong, N. H., & An, N. T. T. (2022). Solutions to promote the entrepreneurial intentions of economics-major students at Kien Giang University. Hung Vuong University Journal of Science and Technology, 26(1), 3–13.
Martins, J. M., Shahzad, M. F., & Xu, S. (2023). Factors influencing entrepreneurial intention to initiate new ventures: Evidence from university students. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 12(1), 63. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-023-00333-9
Nghia, H. N., Binh, N. T. H., Tam, N. T. M., Oanh, N. K., & Phuong, M. T. D. (2021). Entrepreneurial intention of students at the University of Finance–Marketing. Journal of Finance–Marketing Research, 45–61. https://doi.org/10.52932/jfm.vi62.144
Tran, H. C. T., Vu, N. P., & Y Trung, N. K. (2024). Exploring the role of entrepreneurial motivation in forming entrepreneurial intention in the context of digital education. Journal of Education, 24(Special Issue 9), 32–38. Retrieved from https://tcgd.tapchigiaoduc.edu.vn/index.php/tapchi/article/view/2192.
