Determinants of student's participation in e-commerce startups at Makerere University

Abstract

The increasing growth of the digital economy has created numerous opportunities for university students to engage in e-commerce startups. However, participation in such ventures remains relatively low despite the availability of digital technologies and entrepreneurial support initiatives. This study examined the factors influencing students’ participation in e-commerce startups at Makerere University. Specifically, the study assessed the influence of socio-demographic, socioeconomic, and institutional factors on participation in e-commerce startups. A cross-sectional study design was adopted, and data were collected from 180 students using a structured questionnaire administered through Kobo Toolbox. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize respondents’ characteristics, while the Chi-square test of independence was used to examine associations between participation in e-commerce startups and selected independent variables. Significant variables were included in a binary logistic regression model to identify independent predictors of participation. Data analysis was conducted using R statistical software. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that male students (AOR = 2.14), students aged 24–26 years (AOR = 1.54, p = 0.031), students aged 27 years and above (AOR = 1.29), students in Year 4 and above (AOR = 2.87), entrepreneurship exposure (AOR = 2.31), access to finance (AOR = 2.07), training (AOR = 3.16), internet access (AOR = 4.83), and mentorship (AOR = 2.58) significantly increased the likelihood of participation in e-commerce startups. Conversely, students with low and moderate digital skills were significantly less likely to participate compared to those with high digital skills. The study recommends strengthening entrepreneurship training, mentorship programs, digital skills development, at Makerere University.