A pilot study on hospitality students’ entrepreneurial intention in Malaysia

This study outlines the procedures and findings of a pilot test aimed at validating a self-administered questionnaire measuring entrepreneurial intention among hospitality students in Malaysian higher education institutions (HEIs). A pilot test was conducted with 52 undergraduate students from private and public universities to assess the reliability and validity of the survey instruments. The questionnaire comprised constructs including perceived desirability, perceived feasibility, propensity to act, subjective norms, psychological capital and entrepreneurial intention. The online survey format was chosen for its practicality, especially in reaching geographically dispersed institutions. Cronbach’s alpha values across constructs ranged from 0.75 to 0.89, indicating strong internal consistency. Notably, issues were identified regarding participants’ interpretation of key terms, specifically the misinterpretation of “final year” as “final semester,” highlighting a need for improved clarity in instructions. These results affirm the reliability and feasibility of the instrument, with minor refinements required before administering the full-scale survey.