The Influence of Attitudes, Creativity, and Environment on Entrepreneurial Career Selection Behavior among Community College Students

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is a key element for the nation and one of the initiatives to address unemployment while fostering competitiveness in the global economic market. The integration of expertise and skills with entrepreneurial opportunities helps graduates in career selection. This study first aims to identify the levels of entrepreneurial attitudes, creativity and environment, and entrepreneurial career selection behavior. Second to identify the differences in entrepreneurial career selection behavior between different genders, and lastly the influence of attitude, creativity, and environment on career selection behavior among community college students. This study also adopts a quantitative approach using a survey method through questionnaires. A total of 218 final-semester community college students who have taken the entrepreneurship module were involved. Data analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27 to obtain descriptive and inferential analysis. The research findings show that attitudes, creativity, environment, and entrepreneurial career selection behavior among students are at a moderately high level. In addition, the findings also indicate that female students dominate entrepreneurial career selection behavior based on mean scores. Overall, the influence of attitudes, creativity, environment, and behavior on entrepreneurial career selection among community college students is at a moderately high level. Therefore, the implications of this research hoped that this study can be used to design entrepreneurial programs and activities to cultivate entrepreneurial attitudes and environments while enhancing creativity and entrepreneurial career selection behavior. This research supports the Theory of Entrepreneurial Cognitive Development (2000) and the Critical Thinking Model (1998), where all factors are interrelated and are used to predict and explain the entrepreneurial behavior that students will engage in when they complete their studies and choose entrepreneurial careers. Quality teaching and the cultivation of entrepreneurship in community colleges should be implemented more systematically and continuously to instill an entrepreneurial spirit, thereby changing students' mindsets and perceptions in choosing a career in entrepreneurship.