Self-Efficacy and Entrepreneurial Career Preferences Among Rural Youth in the Shekhawati Region, Rajasthan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63345/ujhmds.v2.i3.302Keywords:
entrepreneurial, self-efficacy, career preference, rural youth, Shekhawati, Rajasthan, entrepreneurial intention, social cognitive theoryAbstract
This study examines the relationship between entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial career preferences among rural youth in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan, a semi-arid area historically associated with mercantile enterprise but presently characterised by high out-migration and strong preference for salaried government employment. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 420 rural respondents aged 18–30 across the districts of Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Churu. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy was measured using an adapted multidimensional instrument, and career preference was assessed alongside perceived access to finance, family support and risk propensity. Mean entrepreneurial self-efficacy was 3.42 on a five-point scale (SD = 0.68), while mean entrepreneurial career preference was 3.28 (SD = 0.81). Only 34.5% of respondents identified self-employment as their first-choice career, against 41.4% who preferred government service. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy correlated strongly with career preference (r = .58, p < .001) and emerged as the dominant predictor in a multiple regression model explaining 47% of variance in career preference (β = .41, p < .001). Family support and risk propensity contributed significantly, while formal education did not. Mediation analysis indicated that self-efficacy partially mediated the effect of family support on career preference (indirect effect = .18, 95% CI [.12, .25]). Male respondents reported significantly higher self-efficacy than female respondents (t(418) = 4.42, p < .001, d = 0.44). The findings suggest that entrepreneurship promotion in the region should prioritise mastery-experience-based confidence building over information provision alone.
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