Individual and Institutional Determinants of Green Entrepreneurial Intentions among Undergraduate Students in Selected Universities in Kenya

Abstract

Anthropogenic activities, including conventional entrepreneurship, are major contributors to environmental degradation and climate change. Concurrently, Kenya faces high graduate unemployment, necessitating a shift toward sustainable venture creation. However, there is a paucity of empirical evidence on whether university students possess the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes to contribute to a green economy and support sustainable transitions. Therefore, the goal of this study was to evaluate the Individual and Institutional determinants of Green Entrepreneurial Intentions (GEI) among undergraduate students in selected universities in Kenya. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behaviour, Value-Belief-Norm Theory, and Cultural Dimensions Theory, the study addressed five objectives: evaluating environmental values, examining entrepreneurial self-efficacy, analyzing subjective norms, examining perceived behavioural control, and illustrating the moderating role of policy support. The study adopted a cross-sectional design. Quantitative data were collected from 392 fourth-year business students across six universities using questionnaires, Focus Group Discussions, and Key Informant Interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Exploratory Factor Analysis, and Hierarchical Multiple Linear Regression. The results revealed distinct contributions for each objective. First, environmental values were a foundational positive determinant, explaining 57.3% of variance in simple regression and retaining significance in the integrated model (β = .104, p = .010). Second, entrepreneurial self-efficacy was a robust predictor, accounting for 73.0% of variance in isolation and remaining significant in the full model (β = .267, p < .001). Third, subjective norms emerged as the strongest unique predictor in the integrated model (β = .369, p < .001), with rural-urban orientation (β = .523) and religiosity (β = .303) being significant, while family background was not. Fourth, perceived behavioural control was a key enabling factor, explaining 70.3% of the variance in simple regression and remaining significant in the full model (β = .198, p = .001). Finally, policy support acted as a strong direct predictor but did not significantly moderate most relationships, except for a significant negative moderation on subjective norms (β = -1.368, p = .039). The integrated model explained 79.0% of the variance in GEI. Green entrepreneurial intentions among Kenyan university students are multifaceted, driven by an interconnected web of personal values, self-perceptions, social influences, and contextual enablers. While environmental values provide the moral foundation and self-efficacy supplies confidence, subjective norms act as the strongest social propellant, and perceived behavioural control ensures feasibility. Policy support functions primarily as a direct enabler rather than a uniform amplifier of individual factors. Recommendations include integrating comprehensive environmental education into curricula, establishing student-run green business incubators, leveraging normative influences through religious and community engagement, improving access to resources and skills development, and developing targeted policies that directly support green venture creation. These interventions aim to foster a generation of environmentally conscious entrepreneurs capable of contributing to Kenya's transition toward a sustainable green economy.