Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the entrepreneurial intentions of university students at two major universities in Yemen. The entrepreneurial intentions of students were determined using demographic, personality, environmental and situational variables. The primary data were collected through a questionnaire survey method. A total of 487 students have been included from different programs such as economics, commerce, sciences, computer and IT, medical sciences, agriculture, engineering, art and law. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics, principal component factor analysis, t-test, analysis of variance, correlation and regression analysis were employed. The results indicate that individual perceptions of need for achievement, self-efficacy, locus of control and situational variable have a significant impact on entrepreneurial intention, but not instrumental readiness. Age and entrepreneurial experience have a significant impact, but not gender and university. The study recommends that students should develop their entrepreneurial capacity by following informal and formal training of different entrepreneurial skills needed to run a business. Government and universities should organize entrepreneurship training courses and establishing entrepreneurship centers, incubators and support entrepreneurial start-ups activity.

Key words: University students, entrepreneurial intention, Yemen.