The Influence of Perceived Behavioral Control on Green Entrepreneurial Intentions: Evidence from Undergraduate Students in Selected Universities in Kenya

The escalating environmental crisis has amplified the need for green entrepreneurship as a mechanism for sustainable economic development. Studies on students' intention to engage in entrepreneurship have focused mainly on conventional entrepreneurship. This paper examines perceived behavioral control as a determinant of green entrepreneurial intentions among undergraduate university students in Kenya. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, it examines how students' perceptions of control, in terms of skills, resources, and abilities, influence their likelihood of engaging in green business. Using a mixed-method approach, the study surveyed 392 students and conducted 12 FGDs. Quantitative data analysis was performed using both simple and multiple regression methods. The data obtained from the survey determined that students who exhibited high perceived behavioral control had higher intentions to engage in green entrepreneurship. The findings indicate that perceived behavioral control is a significant predictor of green entrepreneurial intentions on it own (R 2 .703, p < 0.001) and even when loaded on a hierarchical model as the 3 rd predictor R 2 .889, p < 0.001. The findings further reflected that students' confidence in their ability to overcome entrepreneurial hurdles substantially influenced their commitment to engaging in sustainable enterprises. The results of this study show that increasing perceived behavior control plays a significant role in fostering Green entrepreneurial intentions of university students. Universities must develop targeted interventions, like mentorship programs, green business incubators, and courses in entrepreneurship with an emphasis on sustainability. The projects can strengthen students' beliefs about their capacities to initiate and manage environmentally sound practices efficiently in firms, thereby establishing sustainable economic prosperity.