AN ANALYSIS OF THE UNDERLYING MOTIVES FOR AGRICULTURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP INTENTION IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

The purpose of this report is to empirically investigate the association between sustainable entrepreneurship with agricultural entrepreneurial intention among Pakistani agri-entrepreneurs. The article explores how the outcomes of a successful entrepreneurial education system – self-efficacy, opportunities, and business angel - influence agricultural entrepreneurs' intentions to pursue a career in agricultural entrepreneurship. The study was conducted in Southern Punjab, Pakistan among agri-entrepreneurs. A total of 200 sample was collected. The structural model and the hypotheses were tested using the two-step PLS-SEM (Measurement Model Assessment & Structural Model Assessment) process in SmartPLS 3.0 software. While for descriptive analysis SPSS 23 software were used. The current study demonstrates that, with the exception of opportunity perception, all of the identified factors have positive correlations with agricultural entrepreneurial intention to varied degrees. Also, sustainable entrepreneurship was found to have a direct impact on agricultural entrepreneurial intention. Thus, in order to minimise reliance on paid work, improve economic conditions, and lower the rate of graduate unemployment among youngsters, their focus should be directed toward entrepreneurship especially in agricultural sector (as the portion of value addition in GDP of Pakistan is higher than any other sector) by developing the right attitude, attaining necessary skills in addition having requisite knowledge about the importance of entrepreneurship in building economies as well as growing societies.To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is one of the first research to investigate the impacts and mediation of sustainable entrepreneurship on agricultural entrepreneurial intention among agri-entrepreneurs in a developing country – Pakistan.