INFLUENCE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION ON ENTREPRENEURIAL BEHAVIOR: A STUDY WITH REFERENCE TO GRADUATE UNEMPLOYED IN PONDICHERRY

Abstract

Entrepreneurs play an important role in the growth and development of an economy because entrepreneurship development brings about a number of benefits. These include employment, income, improved quality of life, social advancement, poverty reduction, and others. This scenario would necessitate the emergence of young entrepreneurs particularly graduates who otherwise to a great extend depend on suitable employment opportunities but in vain. Keeping this idea in mind, this paper makes an attempt to examine to what extent, graduates in Puducherry acquaint themselves with entrepreneurial intention and behaviour which in turn would prepare them for business startups. Convenient sampling was used to collect primary data from 50 respondents. Analysis was carried out with descriptive statistic including, Factor analysis, correlation and Multiple regression. The findings show that the unemployed graduates in Puducherry had a moderate level of entrepreneurial intention and behavior. Correlation result shows that entrepreneurial intention and the entrepreneurial behavior are closely related with each other. Further, the regression analysis suggests that entrepreneurial intention had a significant impact on entrepreneurial behavior.