Abstract:
Entrepreneurship is a practicable solution to unemployment issue and it offers a way to increase wealth of
individual and nation. This study focuses on the impact of entrepreneurial motivation on self-employment
intention. Both primary and secondary data were used for this study. Primary data were collected using
questionnaires and secondary data were collected through books, journals, media news, reports and
magazines. This descriptive type of study was conducted by quantifying the data collected via close ended
questionnaires. 270 students from Jaffna and Trincomalee ATIs were selected as the sample for this study by
using stratified proportionate sampling method as 10% from each institute. 25 questionnaires were not
considered due to various errors made by the respondents and 245 duly filled questionnaires were taken into
account with almost 90% response rate, as 118 from Jaffna ATI and 127 from Trincomalee ATI. Collected
data were analyzed using various methods of analysis such as, reliability test, descriptive statistics, correlation
analysis and regression analysis. Findings of the study clearly indicated that the entrepreneurial motivation
significantly influences self-employment intention. These results are more useful for policy makers,
government officials, educators and potential entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka to improve their entrepreneurship
capabilities. Entrepreneurship should be introduced and included as a core subject in Higher education
curriculums.
