Youth perceptions on college social support environment towards farm entrepreneurial intentions: evidence from folk development colleges in Tanzania

Abstract

Supporting the development of entrepreneurial behaviour and competencies among youth is currently critical as many governments are looking for methods of achieving job creation and economic growth. However, in achieving that, social support is vital among youth during the process of choosing an occupation. It involves provision of tangible, informational and emotional resources. This paper aimed at assessing the youth perception on college social support environment towards farm entrepreneurial intentions. Two specific objectives that were addressed in this study include: first, to identify the levels of youth perception on college social support environment towards youth farm entrepreneurship, and second, to determine the relationship between perceived college social support environment on farm entrepreneurship and youth farm entrepreneurial intention. The study employed cross-sectional design and 300 respondents were randomly selected from three Folk Development Colleges offering agricultural programmes. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analysed by using descriptive and inferential statistics where percentages, frequencies, mean, standard deviation and Somers’s D Model were specifically employed. The findings generally show that youth have favourable perception towards college social support environment for farm entrepreneurial intentions. The approval from friends provided highest influence while direct support from college had the lowest influence on intention to farm entrepreneurship. It can be concluded that the social support environment in FDCs contribute positively to youth farm entrepreneurial intention. The support is more in the form of moral and social support rather than material support. It is recommended that colleges should design and establish various collaborative programmes that make social agents active in supporting farm entrepreneurship.