Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International

Background: Sub-optimisation in utilisation of professional skills often poses major practice challenge to young pharmacists in institutional health care settings hence the need to redirect their focus to employment-promoting strategies such as entrepreneurship.

Aims: The aims of the study were to explore the level of entrepreneurial traits and possession of future entrepreneurship intention among pharmacy undergraduates of Obafemi Awolowo University and to identify the factors that may influence their propensity towards self employment.

Study Design: A cross-sectional descriptive survey.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Administration, Faculty of Pharmacy; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Nigeria from July, 2012 to February, 2013.

Methods: Two hundred and fifteen of the 628 pharmacy undergraduates of the university were selected by stratified random sampling. Pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data. The level of entrepreneurial traits was measured on a five point Likert-type scale with alternative responses of very low (1), low (2), moderate (3), high (4) and very high (5). Future entrepreneurial intention was measured using items with dichotomous ‘yes’/‘no’ responses. Collected data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequencies, percentages, weighted averages, mean of weighted averages (MWA) and chi square.

Results: The level of entrepreneurial traits of the students was found to be 4 (MWA = 3.9) while majority (79.67%) of the responses for future entrepreneurial intention was in the affirmative. The most prominent factors perceived by respondents as determining future entrepreneurial intention were ‘preference for personal creativity’ (63.3%) and ‘lack of security in the country’ (28.8%) for motivator and barrier respectively. Chi-square test showed that gender was significantly associated with some entrepreneurial traits namely propensity for risk-taking, willingness to take calculated risks and ability to formulate an effective venture team.

Conclusion: The study concluded that the level of entrepreneurial traits of the students was high and they possessed future entrepreneurial intention. The entrepreneurial traits of the students can be appropriately deployed and their intention actualized by incorporating entrepreneurial studies in pharmacy undergraduate curriculum.