Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy on the Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Entrepreneurial Intention of Student in Kaduna State University

Globally, entrepreneurial intention is a widely acceptable means of stimulating graduates to venture into entrepreneurship as a means of reducing unemployment. This study empirically examined the mediating role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy on emotional intelligence and entrepreneurial intention of students in Kaduna state university. The study is based on primary data collected from one hundred and six students using structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using the technique of PLS path analysis. The finding of this study revealed that emotional intelligence significantly influence on entrepreneurial intention of students in Kaduna state university. Furthermore the findings indicated that entrepreneurial self-efficacy was significantly related to entrepreneurial intention. In addition, the findings also revealed that entrepreneurial self-efficacy fully mediate the relationship between emotional intelligence and entrepreneurial intention of students in Kaduna state university. The study concluded that emotional intelligence aid the development of entrepreneurial intention through improved entrepreneurial self-efficacy. The study recommended that government and policy makers should devise means of improving entrepreneurial self-efficacy and emotional intelligence as they aids in the development of intention and subsequent venture creation.