ABSTRACT
This study aimed to determine the relationship between the level of perceived self-efficacy and the degree of entrepreneurial intentions of the MBA students of Aklan Catholic College (ACC) Academic Year 2025-2026. A descriptive - correlational research design was used to gather data from 30 MBA students of ACC through a researcher-made survey questionnaire. The results of the study revealed that there is a significant relationship between the perceived self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intentions of the respondents. The study concludes that when the self-efficacy of the respondents increases, they tend to develop a stronger desire for entrepreneurship and are confident in their skills and knowledge that they can succeed in entrepreneurship. Based on the findings of the study, the level of all four dimensions, mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasion, and physiological feedback are high. The study also revealed that the degree of perceived desirability, propensity to act and perceived feasibility are high. The study revealed that based on the respondents' undergraduate degree, the level of perceived self-efficacy has no significant difference in all four dimensions. Meanwhile, in the respondents’ average monthly income, the findings show a significant difference in terms only of vicarious experiences. The findings revealed that when the respondents are classified by their undergraduate degree and average monthly income, there is no significant difference in all three dimensions of the entrepreneurial intentions.
Keywords: Self-Efficacy, Entrepreneurial Intentions, Aklan Catholic College, Desire, Confident, Skills, Entrepreneurship, Mastery Experiences, Vicarious Experiences, Social Persuasion, Physiological Feedback, Perceived Desirability, Perceived Feasibility, Propensity to Act
INTRODUCTION
In today’s highly competitive and uncertain global economy, where the job markets constantly evolve, and technological innovation is rapidly present in reshaping the business landscape, the ability to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities is crucial as it helps the global economy to promote innovation, competitiveness, adapt to global change, and create employment opportunities for everyone. Through entrepreneurship, this may become the vital pathway for job creation and establishing sustainable development. Entrepreneurship is not just a career choice but serves as the key driver towards economic success.
From a global perspective, there is empirical research that highlights the importance of self-efficacy towards an individual, as it stands as the belief in their ability to successfully perform entrepreneurial activities. Possessing entrepreneurial self-efficacy has been identified as a significant predictor of entrepreneurial intentions, which is regarded as the most important factor in entrepreneurial actions (Ticoalu, Nursito & Tuerah, 2025). As stated by Liu, Lin & Zhao (2019), the self-efficacy, as rooted in the social cognitive theory of Bandura (1977), is understood as an individual’s belief in their capacity to succeed in pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities. This belief requires executing actions in order to achieve specific goals identified as a strong predictor of entrepreneurial intentions across a diverse student population (Liu, Lin & Zhao, 2019). In today’s youth, it proves that determination and creativity can lead to an exceptional opportunity. Ju (2025) stated that Master in Business Administration (MBA) students can learn and build core skills that are needed to understand how to run and grow a business. Students can develop critical analysis, strategic planning, and essential business skills that can be applied in running a business. In addition to Ju (2025), through the MBA program, MBA students can get practical knowledge and perspective that turn an idea into a real venture. According to Nunez, Cornejo-Meza & Fernandez-Concha (2025), MBA programs are increasingly designed to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset and skills of MBA students. Therefore, self-efficacy plays an important role in shaping the entrepreneurial capabilities of MBA students through their beliefs in themselves to overcome challenges and obstacles in running a business (Rahmatika & Suwarno, 2024; Avnimelech & Zelekha, 2014), because individuals with high self-efficacy are more likely to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities and persist in facing obstacles.
In the local context, particularly in the field of business management education, the Master in Business Administration (MBA) students are represented as the critical group for entrepreneurial development. In many developing economies, entrepreneurship is viewed as a strategic solution for economic issues such as unemployment and economic growth, which makes the entrepreneurial intentions of MBA students more significant. According to the Philippine author Capistrano et al. (2024), confidence in one’s ability to innovate and pursue business opportunities plays a vital role in shaping the entrepreneurial intentions among Filipino youth. A study conducted by Dotong and Manalang (2023) highlighted that dimensions of self-efficacy related to opportunity, recognition, risk-taking, and economic confidence significantly influenced the students’ entrepreneurial intentions to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities. For MBA students who represent a fundamental role in shaping the country's economic success, it is crucial to possess advanced business knowledge in order to achieve entrepreneurial success. Understanding the relationship between self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intentions of MBA students can help further understand the process by which it significantly affects each variable and remains constant in terms of the importance of self-efficacy as the predictor in entrepreneurial intentions of the MBA students.
In line with this, the study aimed to determine the relationship between the level of perceived self-efficacy and the degree of entrepreneurial intentions of the Master in Business Administration (MBA) students of Aklan Catholic College (ACC) for the academic year 2025-2026. While numerous studies assessed the relationship between self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intentions among students, limited studies focused specifically on MBA students and focused only on undergraduate students or young entrepreneurs. Some previous research typically viewed self-efficacy as a global concept, but few studies have examined its major sources, such as mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasion, and physiological feedback. Also, the study is limited, particularly in the institutional and local context. The researcher conducted this study to understand how the belief of MBA students in themselves influences their desire to start their own business after earning an MBA degree.
see PDF attachment for more information