Mediating role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and self-perceived employability on the relationship between career adaptability and entrepreneurial intentions of agriculture students

In the current study, based upon the Career Construction Theory, entrepreneurship is considered as an adaptive vocational behavior driven by an individualchr('39')s self-regulatory capacity to thrive in a complex entrepreneurial career context. This study evaluated relationships among career adaptability, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, self-perceived employability and entrepreneurial intentions of agriculture students. It also examined the mediating role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and self-perceived employability on the relationship between career adaptability and entrepreneurial intentions. The research method was quantitative research with a descriptive correlational design. The statistical population of this study was composed of senior bachelor agriculture students of Bu-Ali Sina University and Arak University during 2018-19 academic year (N=1300). Based on Krejcie and Morgan’s table, the sample size was estimated 297 individuals. To increase the validity of research, 341 students were selected through stratified sample technique. Data were collected by a standardized questionnaire and then analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling by the help of SPSS and Amos software. The results indicated that entrepreneurial self-efficacy and self-perceived employability were positively related to entrepreneurial intentions. The results also showed that career adaptability was directly related to entrepreneurial self-efficacy and self-perceived employability and indirectly related to entrepreneurial intentions through these variables. These results could be used to promote and develop students’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy, self-perceived employability and entrepreneurial intentions.