Entrepreneurial intentions and gender : the case of Malaysia

[Executive Summary] Studies on entrepreneurial intentions and gender suggest that entrepreneurial intentions are higher amongst men than women. In addition, studies on entrepreneurial intentions tend to focus on students which can be a limitation. In an effort to study entrepreneurial intention, this study sets out to observe if entrepreneurial intentions differed by gender in Malaysia. I have hypothesised that entrepreneurial self-efficacy; role model influence and professional attraction towards entrepreneurship have a positive relationship with entrepreneurial intentions. In addition, this study investigates whether gender has a moderating effect on the relationship between the variables of entrepreneurial self-efficacy, role model influence and professional attraction and entrepreneurial intentions. Based on 159 adult samples, the findings suggest that there are gender differences in entrepreneurial intentions. Professional attraction was also found to have a significant correlation with entrepreneurial intentions amongst the variables. In addition, it was found that gender did not moderate the effects of entrepreneurial self-efficacy, role model influence and professional attraction on entrepreneurial intentions. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed in this thesis