SUSTAINABILITY-DRIVEN ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS AMONG FINAL-YEAR ENTREPRENEURSHIP UNDERGRADUATES IN SRI LANKA

Abstract

The role of entrepreneurship has expanded to encompass issues beyond mere economic growth, prompting an increased focus on the factors influencing entrepreneurial intentions across various types of entrepreneurships, particularly sustainable entrepreneurship. Despite growing interest, there is limited evidence regarding sustainability-driven entrepreneurial intentions, particularly within the Sri Lankan context. The current study aims to address this gap by investigating how attitudes towards sustainable entrepreneurship, subjective norms, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy affect the formation of students' intentions to engage in sustainability-driven entrepreneurship. The study used a quantitative research design, and data were collected through self administered questionnaires distributed to 140 final-year undergraduates enrolled in entrepreneurship degree programs at five state universities in Sri Lanka, utilizing a convenience sampling technique. Correlation analysis, descriptive statistics, and regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The findings reveal that attitudes towards sustainable entrepreneurship, subjective norms, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy positively influence the formation of sustainability-driven entrepreneurial intentions, with students showing a clear preference for ventures that prioritize environmental and social impact. This highlights that students’ entrepreneurial intentions are decisively sustainability driven, suggesting that their future ventures will likely integrate sustainable practices and contribute to broader environmental and social goals. This study enriches the literature on sustainable entrepreneurship, enhancing the understanding of university students’ intentions toward sustainable ventures. The outcomes of this research provide valuable insights for university mentors and environmental academicians to guide students in launching sustainable ventures.