Role of Family Background in the Entrepreneurial Behaviour of Undergraduate Students in Ibadan, Oyo State

This study examines the influence of family entrepreneurial background on the entrepreneurial behaviour and intentions of undergraduate students at the University of Ibadan and the Polytechnic of Ibadan in Oyo State, South West Nigeria. Family entrepreneurial exposure, through parents or siblings who own and operate businesses, is widely theorised as a significant antecedent of entrepreneurial socialisation, providing young people with role models, practical knowledge, and access to social capital that non-entrepreneurial family backgrounds do not typically offer. The study employs a descriptive survey design, administering a validated entrepreneurial behaviour scale and a family background questionnaire to 240 undergraduates through stratified sampling. Chi-square tests and independent samples t-tests were used to examine group differences. Findings indicate that students with at least one entrepreneurially active parent score significantly higher on entrepreneurial attitude, business planning behaviour, and opportunity recognition dimensions compared to students from non-entrepreneurial households. The effect is strongest for students whose parents operate businesses in the same sector the student aspires to enter, suggesting domain-specific knowledge transfer. However, the relationship is moderated by students' own perceived family financial position, with students from entrepreneurial but financially struggling households showing lower entrepreneurial confidence despite positive attitude. The study argues that family entrepreneurial background is a significant but not unconditional predictor of entrepreneurial behaviour. Recommendations include peer mentoring programmes pairing students from non-entrepreneurial backgrounds with student entrepreneurs. Keywords: family entrepreneurial background, entrepreneurial behaviour, undergraduate students, socialisation, Ibadan.