Cape Town: Exploring the Effect of Cultural Values on Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy among University Students

Various studies suggest that research on entrepreneurship places a greater emphasis on the role of culture, as it affects all aspects of human being. Cultural values are perceived as a shared interpretation of bahaviour as well as actual differences in behaviours, while entrepreneurial selfefficacy (ESE) is best seen as a multidimensional construct made of individuals’ beliefs about their abilities and capabilities for tackling the challenges and nurture entrepreneurial intentions towards starting a new business. This study discussed both concepts of cultural values and self-efficacy with an intention to determine whether the former has an impact on the later in the Cape Town environment. The insufficiency of references in entrepreneurial undertakings in South Africa was the main reason to conduct the current study. A deductive approach was adopted and a purposive sample of 274 entrepreneurship students from four universities in Cape Town was analysed using bivariate and multivariate tests of statistical significance. Cronbach’s Alpha was used to measure the reliability of the research instrument. Unlike religion, other variables of culture – language and customs & traditions – were found to have impact on self-efficacy. Considering the unit of analysis of the study, as well as the role of self-efficacy, University management should think about designing courses and modules that enhance self-efficacy. The findings reveal what culture can do for entrepreneurship, but contests the view that all its variables support self-efficacy.