Understanding entrepreneurship behaviour among the youth: a behavioural change theory perspective

The aim of the study is to integrate the theory of planned behaviour and transtheoretical model to predict youth entrepreneurship behaviour in Ghana. The study employed questionnaires to collect data from 600 unemployed youths using purposive and convenience sampling techniques. The hypothesised relationships were analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings reveal that attitude and PBC strongly influence entrepreneurial intention whilst entrepreneurial intention, attitude and subjective norms have significant influence on youth entrepreneurship behaviour. By integrating two behavioural change theories to understand the entrepreneurial intention of the youth, the study contributes to knowledge by providing a deeper theoretical understanding of the phenomenon from a developing country context. Although the two theories were able to predict youth entrepreneurship behaviour, the mediation effect of self-reevaluation only explained 38% of the variance in actual entrepreneurship behaviour. Future studies could explore the mediation or moderation roles of other environmental factors.