Entrepreneurial Intent and Orientation Developments in Thai Students under an Entrepreneurship Curriculum

Abstract

            This study’s purpose was to examine the impact of years of studying in Bangkok University’s School of Entrepreneurship (BUSEM), gender and family business background (FB) on students’ entrepreneurial intent (EI) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) with hypotheses that EI and EO scores were impacted by differences in FB, Gender and Years of studies (Year) in BUSEM program.  Five hundred and fifty (out of seven hundred and fifty) BUSEM students were accidentally selected to participate in this survey. The questionnaire was administered to 550 students (out of 750).   Data analysis of this research included mean, standard deviation, and 3-way MANOVA. The results showed that 73% of the sampling came from family business ownership background.  Trading is the main source of their FB income.  Seventy-five percent of those businesses belong to their father side.  Most students’ household income per month is over 100,000 baht/month.  The first year students had the highest EI and EO scores followed by the second, third, and fourth year students.  This research showed that EI and EO scores were significantly affected by the combination of Years of study, Gender and the FB ownership of students.  The interaction between Gender and Year significantly affected the EO score of female students with family business ownership.  Among female students with FB, years of study impacted their EI and EO scores.  Specifically, the first year female students with FB had significantly higher EI scores than the third and fourth years. They also had significantly higher EO scores than the second year female students with FB.  At the same time, female students without FB, Year of studies significantly impacted the EI scores.  The first year female students without FB had significantly higher EI scores than second, third, and fourth year female students without FB.  However, neither Years of study nor FB ownership impacted the EI and EO scores of male students.