Abstract:

In our nation, unemployment is rising as a result of the decline in both private and public sector employment. At this point, entrepreneurship is essential for generating employment and creating new jobs. The major goal of this study is to reveal the effect of university students' self-efficacy and unemployment anxiety on their entrepreneurial intentions. The data of the study were collected from 438 students studying at a state university by using a questionnaire with convenience sampling method. In the face-to-face questionnaire, in addition to the personal information form, self-efficacy, unemployment anxiety and entrepreneurial intention scales were included. In addition to descriptive statistics; correlation, and regression analysis were applied in the data analysis. Descriptive statistics indicate that students have high levels of self-efficacy, while their unemployment anxiety and entrepreneurial intentions are at a moderate level. The correlation analysis has revealed a high positive association between self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intention as well as a moderately favorable relationship between entrepreneurial intention and unemployment anxiety. The regression analysis has revealed that students' self-efficacy and unemployment anxiety favorably impact their entrepreneurial intentions. Self-efficacy has also been identified as the most powerful factor influencing entrepreneurial intention. The research result shows that self-efficacy and unemployment anxiety are two important variables in increasing entrepreneurial intention and, accordingly, the emergence of entrepreneurial behavior.

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