Relationship between entrepreneurial personality traits and entrepreneur intention: A study on university students

Entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in creating employment and fostering wealth and prosperity within societies, contributing to the establishment of a sustainable and healthy economy, as well as promoting economic growth. Due to its contributions to economic development, both developed and developing countries have set supporting entrepreneurship as a strategic goal. In this context, higher education institutions are expected to develop individuals' entrepreneurial personality traits and encourage them to engage in entrepreneurship. This study aims to examine the relationship between university students' entrepreneurial personality traits and their entrepreneurial intentions, as well as investigate whether students' demographic characteristics affect these two variables. Using a quantitative research methodology, this study was conducted in a relational screening model. The research, which involved 430 students from Pamukkale University, revealed that students' entrepreneurial personality traits and entrepreneurial intention levels showed significant differences based on several demographic variables (gender, age, department, career plans, entrepreneurship course attendance, social media influence, and the presence of role models within their families or close circle). A strong positive relationship was found between students' entrepreneurial personality traits and entrepreneurial intentions. It was concluded that tolerance for ambiguity, risk-taking tendency, and need for achievement significantly predicted entrepreneurial intention. Additionally, participants who had attended an entrepreneurship course exhibited stronger entrepreneurial personality traits and higher entrepreneurial intentions compared to those who had not taken such a course. Keywords: Entrepreneurial personality traits, Entrepreneurial intention, Business administration department, University students.