The Effect of Parenting Style on Self-Employment Intention of Sri Lankan Youth

Abstract

The effect of parenting style on the self-employment intention of Sri Lankan youth poses a critical and under-explored issue within the context of entrepreneurial development. Despite the growing recognition of entrepreneurship as a career choice, there is a notable gap in understanding how parenting styles may impact youth towards self-employment. The lack of empirical research leaves policymakers, educators, and parents without the insights to develop interventions for entrepreneurial aspirations. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship between parenting styles and self employment intentions to provide strategies that establish the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Sri Lanka and empower the younger generation to pursue and succeed in entrepreneurial endeavors. This research employs a deductive approach, applying quantitative methods. For the quantitative component, 248 youths were selected using a stratified sampling method. Data is analyzed employing the Partial Least Squire - Structural Equation Model. Results reveal that the path coefficients for each parenting style including Authoritarian, Authoritative, Permissive, and Uninvolved demonstrate a significant impact on self-employment intention. The negative path coefficient for Authoritarian parenting and Uninvolved parenting suggests a decrease in self-employment intention. Conversely, the Authoritative and permissive parenting styles show increased self-employment intention. These findings suggest that fostering a supportive parental environment can positively impact youth towards self employment. These results have practical implications for policymakers, educators, and parents who aim to nurture entrepreneurial aspirations in individuals.