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Abstract
Youth entrepreneurship has been seen as a key solution to the unemployment problem and for economic development in Nepal. The present study attempts to explore the factors that influence the entrepreneurial intention among the youths of the Rupandehi District focusing on family environment, motivation, risk taking propensity and self-concept. A quantitative research design was used and primary data was gathered from 250 youths aged 18-35 years using a structured questionnaire with a seven-point Likert scale. The data was analyzed using Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that motivation and self-concept have positive and significant effect on entrepreneurial intention, and family environment and risk-taking propensity have positive but statistically insignificant effect. Among all the predictors, the self-concept was the most strongly predictive of entrepreneurial intention, suggesting that self-confidence and perceived entrepreneurial skills play a crucial role in influencing entrepreneurial aspirations. The model had a high level of explanatory power (74.1%). The measurement model was found to be robust with the use of reliability and validity tests. The study concluded that psychological factors have more influence on entrepreneurial intention of youths than family related and risk-oriented factors in Rupandehi District. The results offer insights for policy makers, educational institutions and entrepreneurship development organizations in developing programs to improve motivation, self-belief and entrepreneurial skills of young people.
Keywords: Entrepreneurial intention, motivation, self-concept, risk-taking propensity, family environment.
