"The Influence of Individual Characteristics on the Intention to Pursue Social Entrepreneurship among MBA Students: A Study with Special Reference, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh"

Abstract

This research examines how individual characteristics shape the intention to pursue social entrepreneurship among MBA students in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. Social entrepreneurship is increasingly recognized for addressing societal challenges through innovative, sustainable business solutions. Understanding the personal traits that motivate students to engage in socially-oriented ventures is crucial. This study focuses on key individual factors including self-efficacy, empathy, proactiveness, compassionate love, attitude, locus of control, and creativity. Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from 30 MBA students and analyzed with descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression techniques. The results reveal that empathy is a significant positive predictor of social entrepreneurial intention, whereas other traits (such as self-efficacy and proactiveness) show positive but statistically non-significant effects. The overall model explains a high proportion of variance in intention (Adjusted R² = 0.833), underscoring the important role of personal factors. These findings offer insights for educators and policymakers to cultivate empathy and related attributes in management education to nurture future social entrepreneurs. The study contributes to the growing literature on social entrepreneurship in India by highlighting how individual dispositions can influence students’ propensity to become socially-oriented business leaders.