Understanding entrepreneurial intentions : the importance of childhood experiences

Fostering entrepreneurship and an entrepreneurial culture has become a key policy priority by governments but to encourage entrepreneurship and an entrepreneurial culture, there is a need to understand the factors that influence and shape individuals' intentions of starting a business. This study extends models of entrepreneurial intentions by investigating the influence of various childhood experience factors on perceived feasibility and desirability of starting a business. A structured questionnaire was completed by over 1000 University students and analysed using regression analysis. Results indicated that perceptions of entrepreneurship were influenced not only by parental ownership of business but also by difficult childhoods and frequent relocation.