FACTORS INFLUENCING ENTREPRENEURIAL ENGAGEMENT BY STUDENTS IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES: A CASE OF NAIROBI METROPOLITAN REGION, KENYA

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the selected factors influencing entrepreneurial engagement among public university students in the Nairobi metropolitan area of Kenya. This study aimed to identify the psychological, socio cultural, institutional and economic factors that influence entrepreneurial engagement, among university students. The study adopted descriptive research design. Specific areas studied were Nairobi, Kiambu and Kajado counties in the Nairobi metropolitan area. There are six public universities in this region that were included in the study, including the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya Technical University, Cooperative University, and Multimedia University. The target group included 1,006 public university students from incubation centres and actively involved in entrepreneurial ventures. The sample size was 286 respondents. In this study, open-ended and closed-ended questions were used to collect data. Data analysis involved the use of descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Descriptive statistical data used frequency and percentage as well as measures of central tendency that were the mean and standard deviation. Inferential statistics on the other hand employed correlation and regression analysis. The results were presented in pie-charts, bar-graphs and statistical tables. Data for analysis was obtained from 279 out of the 286 respondents who returned the questionnaire representing an overall response rate of 97.5%. Overall, the findings showed that entrepreneurial engagements among university students could be positively predicted by the factors in the regression model. In particular, the results showed that the psychological well-being of students had a significant and positive influence on entrepreneurial participation among university students in the Nairobi metropolitan region implying that psychological factors significantly predicted students' entrepreneurial engagement in universities, t (278) =9.81;β=0.027; p<0.001). Regarding the Social factors, the study established that social factors have a positive influence on entrepreneurial engagement of university students implying that social factors significantly predicted entrepreneurial engagement of university students (t (278) =13.73; β=0.028; p<0.001). Further the study found that institutional related factors influenced entrepreneurial engagement of university students in doing business and working life implying that institutional factors significantly predicted entrepreneurial engagement among university students (t (278) =14.90; β=0.0308; p<0.001). Economic factors on the other hand significantly predicted entrepreneurial engagement (t (278) =14.38; β=0.0314, p<0.001) which implied that economic development had a positive influence on the entrepreneurial participation of students in public universities within the Nairobi metropolitan region. All the predicting factors (institutional, psychological, socio-cultural and economic) explained 49.11% variance of entrepreneurial engagement (adjusted R2= 0.49.11, F (4, 278) =95.33, p<0.001). This study concluded that university students need to discover, develop and use self-efficacy, innovation, management and fulfil the requirements in order to participate in entrepreneurship. Benefits such as business education, vocational training/curriculum and suitable workplaces should be created for young people who can attend business schools. It is important to encourage policy makers and university tutors to continue using entrepreneurship education as an effective strategy for teaching university students psychological skills such as good interpersonal skills, innovation, management, and the need for success.