Impact of entrepreneurial characteristics on entrepreneurial intentions: a case study of Khouzestan Ramin University

Development of new business through entrepreneurship directly impact on societies and economies growth and prosper. Due to the high percentage of unemployed graduates in agriculture, there is a need to clarify which elements play the most influential role in shaping the personal decision to start a firm. The purpose of this study was to investigate self-esteem, self-efficacy, risk taking and social networking on entrepreneurial intention. Study population was undergraduate students of the Khouzestan Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resources University during 2007-08. A total of 500 questionnaires were sent to graduates. Of the return questionnaires, 123 were useful, which were somehow selected through follow-up studies. The face validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of experts. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed by pilot study and using the obtained teta coefficient (0.68-0.90). The results showed that there are significant difference between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs in self-esteem and self-efficacy variables. The multiple regression, also revealed self-efficacy and networking significantly can predict 80 percent of variations intention toward future entrepreneurship. The results of this research can be used to design more effective educational programs.