Exploring the Role of Psychological and Social Factors in Shaping Entrepreneurial Intentions among Polytechnic Students in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Abstract This paper focuses on the investigation of the factors that inspire students of Niger Delta Polytechnics in Nigeria to become involved in business ventures. This group plays a key role, as the Niger Delta region is economically viable, yet it is plagued with high rates of youth unemployment. The study based on Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) looks at the attitudes towards, perceived behavioural control and subjective norms that affect the psychology/social underpinnings of students’ entrepreneurship intentions. The research took a quantitative design in which a pre-tested selfadministered structured questionnaire was used to collect the required information. The data was collected from 430 students who were selected based on stratified random sampling from six polytechnic institutions situated in the Niger Delta region. The data were analysed using Pearson’s Correlation and Multiple Regression analysis techniques to investigate the relationships among the study variables and how well they predict overrides. They identified that self-efficacy (r = 0.341, p < 0.01), need for achievement (r = 0.253, p < 0.01), locus of control (r = 0.251, p < 0.01) and risktaking propensity (r = 0.165, p < 0.01) are some of the psychological factors that have a significant positive relationship with entrepreneurial intention. Social influences were important, as family business background (r = 0.259, p < 0.01) and subjective norms (r = 0.220, p < 0.01) demonstrated meaningful correlations with entrepreneurial intention. Multiple regression analysis shows that these variables explain around one-fourth part of entrepreneurial intention variation together (Adj. R² = .270; F = 20.824; p < .01); all predictors significantly contributed to this result. The study brings to the fore the significance of integrating psychological development and social support mechanisms into entrepreneurship education. It goes on to recommend that institution policies and environmental conditions be looked at in order to make the business training for polytechnic students more effective.