How Do Young People Perceive Entrepreneurship? The Influence of Attitudes and Perceived Support on Entrepreneurial Intention in Montenegro

Abstract

Entrepreneurial intention has become one of the most widely examined topics in the field of entrepreneurship, as the decision to start a business in not spontaneous and depends on a combination of individual and contextual factors. Despite the growing literature on entrepreneurial intention, empirical evidence focusing on young people in Montenegro remains limited. This study aims to analyse the factors that affect entrepreneurial intention of young people in Montenegro. Using data collected through a structured questionnaire this study analyses the effect of Personal Attitude, Perceived Educational Support, Perceived Structural Support, and Perceived Relational Support on Entrepreneurial Intention of young people. The sample consisted of 217 young people between 20 and 28 years old. The data were analysed using PLS-SEM technique. The measurement and structural models were assessed, followed by a multigroup analysis to explore the differences between female and male respondents. The proposed model explained 53.7% of the variance in entrepreneurial intention. The results highlighted that perceived relational support was the strongest predictor of entrepreneurial intention, followed by personal attitude and perceived structural support. Perceived educational support did not have a statistically significant relationship with entrepreneurial intention. The multigroup analysis revealed significant gender differences. The relationship between personal attitudes and entrepreneurial intention was substantially stronger among male respondents, while perceived relational support played a stronger role among female respondents. No significant gender differences were identified for educational and structural support. The findings highlight that entrepreneurial intention of young people in Montenegro is shaped by both individual attitudes and perceived support in regards to potential entrepreneurial activity.  This study can be used for future research and entrepreneurship-support initiatives in Montenegro.