Title: Gender perception of factors determining entrepreneurial interest among College of Business Students in Dammam, Saudi Arabia

Authors: Yusuf Opeyemi Akinwale; Aljohara Khalid Ababtain; Olawale Rafiu Olaopa

Addresses: Department of Economics, College of Business Administration, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia ' College of Business Administration, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia ' Department of Economics, College of Business Administration, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

Abstract: This study investigates the independent level of entrepreneurial interest between male and female business college university students in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, and the factors influencing their entrepreneurial interests from the gender perspective. The Chi-square result revealed there is no statistical difference between male and female students, thus signifying that they are both equally interested in starting their own business. The results of logistic regression indicated that attitude towards behaviour, entrepreneurship education, self-efficacy, government support, university context and risk-taking have greater likelihood to influence entrepreneurial interests of female and male students, since their odd-ratios are greater than 1. More so, attitude towards behaviour, self-efficacy, government support, university context, relational support and risk-taking are statistically significant in influencing females' entrepreneurial interests. Meanwhile attitude towards behaviour, entrepreneurship education, self-efficacy and university context are significant in influencing males' entrepreneurial interests. Hence, governmental, relational and university supports should be fostered to improve students' entrepreneurial interests.

Keywords: entrepreneurial interest; university students; gender; Saudi Arabia; entrepreneurship; attitude towards behaviour; self-efficacy; university.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLC.2022.121138

International Journal of Learning and Change, 2022 Vol.14 No.2, pp.159 - 180

Received: 01 Feb 2020
Accepted: 26 May 2020
Published online: 28 Feb 2022 *

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