Fostering sustainable businesses: understanding sustainability-driven entrepreneurial intention among university students in Pakistan

In: Social responsibility journal: the official journal of the Social Responsibility Research Network (SRRNet), Band 18, Heft 8, S. 1409-1426

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this research paper is to predict sustainability-driven entrepreneurship intention among university students in the developing market (Pakistan).


Design/methodology/approach
The target population of this study was university students in Pakistan. According to UNDP (2017) report, Pakistan has the largest youth population. More than 64% of the total population (210 million) is below 30 years of age. If trained properly, this huge chunk of the population could become a source of intellectual capital for the development of the nation. The quota based on age sampling technique was used to collect the data from university students in Karachi because more than 64% of the Pakistan population is below 30 years of age.


Findings
The findings reveal that university entrepreneurial support has a strong influence on attitude toward sustainable entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial self-efficacy.


Research limitations/implications
The role of university entrepreneurial support, environmental concern and students' entrepreneurial self-efficacy are vital factors in sustainability-driven entrepreneurship. This study enriches the literature of green entrepreneurship helping to understand university students' intention for sustainable entrepreneurship. The outcome of this study would help strategists and environmental academicians to guide university students regarding the launch of sustainable ventures.


Originality/value
To the best of authors' knowledge, this is one of the first studies to explore the effects of environmental concern on entrepreneurial intention among university students in the context of a developing country – Pakistan.