Factors affecting students’ entrepreneurial intentions and their differences based on gender, tribe, and parents’ occupation: a cross-sectional study

Background: This study examines the impact of entrepreneurial knowledge and self-efficacy in increasing students' entrepreneurial intentions and their self-efficacy. Differences were analyzed in entrepreneurial intentions based on gender, tribe, and parents’ occupation. Methods: The data used in this research was collected from a survey, done by distributing questionnaires electronically to students of the Economics Education Study Program, Faculty of Economics, State University of Medan in the semesters 3, 5, and 7, (n = 307), with a response from 260 individuals. The analytical test used was the PLS-SEM and nonparametric Mann-Whitney and Kruskal Wallis tests. Results: Entrepreneurial knowledge and self-efficacy positively and significantly increased entrepreneurial intentions. Self-efficacy was not proven to act as a moderating variable, and there was no difference in entrepreneurial intentions between genders, tribes and parents’ occupations. Conclusions: There is a need to enhance the role of the family, so that women's entrepreneurial intentions will not fall lower than men’s. It should be noted, however, the role of the family was not discussed in this study. This research implies that it is necessary to embrace innovative entrepreneurship education, so as to increase the entrepreneurial intentions of women and reduce gender inequality in entrepreneurial activities. Further research needs to be conducted on the role of culture-based families in preparing their sons and daughters to become entrepreneurs.