Impact of Big Five Personality Traits on Entrepreneurial Intention of Engineering Undergraduates

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify the influence of Big Five personality traits of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness to experience on entrepreneurial intention of engineering undergraduates. Entrepreneurship for engineers is not new to the world. Recent changes in the world and engineering present both challenges and opportunities to engineering education. Engineering education is changing to meet these challenges. A study was conducted with the sample of 202 final year undergraduates in engineering faculties in Sri Lanka. Exploratory Factor Analysis, Multiple Regression and Structural Equation Modeling were applied to analyze the relationships of these variables.  The results demonstrate that entrepreneurial personality traits which relate significantly to entrepreneurial intention of undergraduates are characterized by high emotional stability and openness to experience. The findings are discussed and interpreted to provide important implications to practitioners and academics.