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F: Self-confidence and locus of control P: Business knowledge K: Creativity and flexibility N: Financial proficiency C: Communication ability H: Initiative and responsibility L: Knowledge seeking M: Continuous learning
Relationships between possessing entrepreneurial attributes and entrepreneurial intentions
In order to establish whether a relationship exists between possessing the entrepreneurial attributes under investigation and the entrepreneurial intentions of NMMU business students, significant differences in the levels of development of each attribute between students with and those without entrepreneurial intentions were established by conducting t-tests. Cohen's d was calculated to establish the practical significance of these differences (Table 5). Students with entrepreneurial intentions were those who responded “Yes” to intending to start and manage their own businesses in the future, whereas those without entrepreneurial intentions responded “No”.
For the levels of development of the attributes Persuasion and networking (B), Commitment (D) and Self-confidence and locus of control (F), no significant differences were reported between the mean scores of students with and without entrepreneurial intentions. Consequently, the hypotheses (H2, H4 and H6) stating that positive relationships exist between the aforementioned attributes and Entrepreneurial intention are rejected.
Significant differences (p<0.01) with small practical significance (0.20<d<0.50) were reported for the entrepreneurial attributes Overcoming failure (E) (with entrepreneurial intentions = 4.01; without entrepreneurial intentions = 3.83; Cohen's d = 0.29) and Financial proficiency (N) (with entrepreneurial intentions = 3.87; without entrepreneurial intentions = 3.83; Cohen's d = 0.38). Differences of small practical significance in the level of development of these attributes were reported between students with entrepreneurial intentions and those without.
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Significant differences (p<0.001) in the levels of development of several attributes were reported between students with and without entrepreneurial intentions. These differences were of moderate practical significance (0.50<d<0.80). Students with entrepreneurial intentions reported higher mean scores for the attributes Continuous learning (M) (with entrepreneurial intentions = 3.60; without entrepreneurial intentions = 3.00; Cohen's d = 0.74); Business knowledge (P) (with entrepreneurial intentions = 4.02; without entrepreneurial intentions = 3.56; Cohen's d = 0.68); Initiative and responsibility (H) (with entrepreneurial intentions = 3.67; without entrepreneurial intentions = 3.35; Cohen's d = 0.63); Communication ability (C) (with entrepreneurial intentions = 3.69; without entrepreneurial intentions = 3.35 Cohen's d = 0.60); Planning and perseverance (A) (with entrepreneurial intentions = 4.14; without entrepreneurial intentions = 3.78 Cohen's d = 0.57); Creativity and flexibility (K) (with entrepreneurial intentions = 3.97; without entrepreneurial intentions = 3.63; Cohen's d = 0.56); and High energy level (I) (with entrepreneurial intentions = 4.13; without entrepreneurial intentions = 3.86; Cohen's d = 0.51).
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ASSESSING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL ATTRIBUTES OF UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS STUDENTS AT THE NMMU 128