Entrepreneurial Intention of University Graduates of Bangladesh: Looking for New Economic Opportunities

Abstract

The transition from education to work is a crucial challenge for several young people in many countries. University graduates and other recently graduated people mainly face this challenge that leads to extreme unemployment. This indicates that a growing number of graduates fail to find their expected jobs around the globe. This study attempts to investigate the entrepreneurial intention of university graduates in the context of Bangladesh. The conceptual framework of this study was developed based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and surveyed 235 university graduates. The collected data were analyzed by using Partial Least Squares–based Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings of this study clearly demonstrate that career adaptability, risk-taking propensity, and institutional learning play a significantly positive role in developing the entrepreneurial self-efficacy of university graduates. The overall entrepreneurial self-efficacy of the graduates strongly influences their entrepreneurial intention. The study presents notable theoretical and practical implications that can be useful for policy-makers, higher educational institutions, and the Bangladeshi government as a course of action. Finally, conclusions, limitations, and future research directions are outlined.