Examining the Effects of Entrepreneurial Competencies on Students’ Entrepreneurial Intention

Entrepreneurship is regarded as one of the key development initiatives, which leads to employment and economic growth; therefore, reducing poverty and inequality. Besides providing support to existing entrepreneurs, over the recent years, policy makers have focused on entrepreneurial education to cope with graduate unemployment issues and to foster economic growth. The foundation of quality entrepreneurial education depends on our understanding of entrepreneurial competencies and the effects on a student’s entrepreneurial intention. This study therefore focuses on examining the effect of key entrepreneurial competencies on a student’s entrepreneurial intention. This study adopted a cross-sectional design and a quantitative approach, and collected complete data from 333 students, studying commerce related subjects in Universiti Malaysia Kelantan. Findings of this study revealed that the students’ ability to recognize income-generating opportunities, entrepreneurial training and skills, innovativeness, and information-seeking competencies has a significant effect on their entrepreneurial intention. The education policy makers and the higher learning institutions in Malaysia should therefore emphasize on programs and curriculums to improve the students’ ability to recognize income-generating opportunities, entrepreneurial training and skills, innovativeness and information-seeking competencies, which are expected to reduce the rate of unemployed graduates and foster the economic development in Malaysia. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n2p11