Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether rational emotive career coaching could enhance recent first-degree graduates’ entrepreneurial intentions. This was a randomized trial with a group of participants that involved 176 recent university graduates from Enugu State, Nigeria. A questionnaire was used to measure entrepreneurial intentions. A multivariate analysis of covariance was conducted to answer the research questions and test the hypotheses. Results showed that graduates’ entrepreneurial intention was significantly enhanced by rational emotive career coaching. Consequently, there was a significant increase in the entrepreneurial intention of recent first-degree graduates who participated in rational-emotive career coaching treatment when compared to those who only received conventional career, employment and counselling services or usual-care treatments. However, there was no significant interaction between gender and treatment on recent first-degree graduates’ entrepreneurial intentions. An original contribution to rational emotive therapy was this study’s creation of rational emotive career coaching. Additionally, it provided empirical evidence regarding how graduates’ entrepreneurial intentions can be enhanced.