Academic Entrepreneurial Support, Social Capital, and Green Entrepreneurial Intention: Does Psychological Capital Matter for Young Saudi Graduates?

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

- To start with the Abstract, I find that the Abstract is too long and written in long/complex sentences with substandard syntax and grammar. I suggest the Abstract must be re-written thoroughly and could be started with the following contents (after revising the para): 

"The aim of this paper is to show the crucial role of universities in the preparation of future green entrepreneurs, as well as the importance of social capital in ensuring the necessary resources and emotional support to develop a green entrepreneurial intention of young graduates, as well as the importance of psychological capital as a variable between the academic support offered by universities and the development of a green entrepreneurial intention and also between the social capital of entrepreneurs and the development of a green entrepreneurial intention.”  

 

- The key question of the paper is whether psychological capital matters. The authors have to draw on psychological capital and define it in the study context. Mere hypothesis 3 is not enough to do the job, it must be defined, conceptualized, and contextualized MORE precisely and comprehensively. For this purpose, the authors can consult the following literature among others:

Welter, C. and Scrimpshire, A., 2021. The missing capital: The case for psychological capital in entrepreneurship research. Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 16, p.e00267.

Tang, J.J., 2020. Psychological capital and entrepreneurship sustainability. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, p.866.

 

Hasan, M., Guampe, F.A. and Maruf, M.I., 2019. Entrepreneurship learning, positive psychological capital and entrepreneur competence of students: a research study. Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 7(1), p.425.

- Table 1 in the method section should be put as an addendum. The authors can specify the variables considered. They can also discuss the nature and contents of the questions/items BUT the whole bunch of questions here (as items) is not necessary.

 

- It looks like the authors have forgotten to mention/specify the RESULTS section. In the present form, the method section is described as a RESULT section. This is a serious editorial omission as well. I urge the journal editor to be mindful of such major overlook/omissions. I literally stopped reviewing the paper further as the article is structurally flawed [However, a corrected version found on June 1 shows that a "Results and Discussion" section is inserted) though there is literally no discussion on the Findings. Eventually, the Conclusion that has been drawn is not properly reflective of the theory, hypothesis, and research objective.  

- Referencing in many places need to be fixed, for example, in line 69 it’s better to specify the authors rather than "14 and 15 mentions" etc

- Overall, I would suggest the authors seriously consult the following article: 

Writing a scientific article: A step-by-step guide for beginners by F. Ecarnot , M.-F. Seronde, R. Chopard, F. Schiele, N. Meneveau

Overall, the article has the potential to be published, however, it has to be drastically revised and structurally reorganized. 

 

Best,

The quality of English is not satisfactory. The draft version of the article must be checked with a professional English Language Editor. Again, the final version should be re-checked by the same person.

Author Response

Response to reviewer report 1

 

1. To start with the Abstract, I find that the Abstract is too long and written in long/complex sentences with substandard syntax and grammar. I suggest the Abstract must be re-written thoroughly and could be started with the following contents (after revising the para): 

 

The aim of this paper is to show the crucial role of universities in the preparation of future green entrepreneurs, as well as the importance of social capital in ensuring the necessary resources and emotional support to develop a green entrepreneurial intention of young graduates, as well as the importance of psychological capital as a variable between the academic support offered by universities and the development of a green entrepreneurial intention and also between the social capital of entrepreneurs and the development of a green entrepreneurial intention.

The results of this research show strong support for green entrepreneurship through university programs and courses, which clearly have a positive impact on the intent to create green projects. Similarly, the social capital of recent graduates provides not only the necessary resources, but also moral, emotional and material support. Thus, green entrepreneurial intentions depend on the positive psychological capital that can be developed in an individual, which is precisely the feeling of personal efficiency, optimism about success that makes the effort to succeed in difficult tasks. Thus, psychological capital moderates both the relationship between academic support for entrepreneurship and the intention to create green projects, and the relationship between entrepreneurial social capital and the intention to create green projects.

2- The key question of the paper is whether psychological capital matters. The authors have to draw on psychological capital and define it in the study context. Mere hypothesis 3 is not enough to do the job, it must be defined, conceptualized, and contextualized MORE precisely and comprehensively. For this purpose, the authors can consult the following literature among others:

Welter, C. and Scrimpshire, A., 2021. The missing capital: The case for psychological capital in entrepreneurship research. Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 16, p.e00267.

According to Welter, C. and Scrimshire, A., 2021, psychological capital (commonly abbreviated as PsyCap in the organizational behavior and positive psychology literature) is a predisposition to be motivated to succeed (Luthans et al., 2007a, 2007b). It is a "higher order structure" (Slåtten et al., 2019) and a formative structure (Slåtten et al., 2007a, 2007b) consisting of four basic elements: hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism (Luthans et al., 2007a, 2007b).

Tang, J.J., 2020. Psychological capital and entrepreneurship sustainability. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, p.866.

According to Tang et al, 2020, the psychological capital of entrepreneurs promotes creative thinking. Hope is one of four characteristics associated with psychological capital that supports entrepreneurial optimism, that positive thinking that can control negative attitudes leads to innovation and risk-taking. This allows entrepreneurs to motivate their employees to adopt socially responsible, environmentally responsible and sustainable practices. The psychological capital of entrepreneurs and their sales teams supports communication and collaboration among stakeholders. In the face of obstacles and disagreements, traits such as optimism, hope, and flexibility help entrepreneurs communicate and collaborate confidently and "engagingly." Psychological capital helps them effectively manage their teams, attract competent employees and encourage socially responsible behavior. Psychological capital helps entrepreneurs make better use of limited resources and ensure sustainability. Another characteristic of psychological capital is hope, a positive energy that motivates people to seize every opportunity and strive to achieve a better position among competitors. Optimism is also the ability to generate positive energy to achieve greater success in long-term projects. Flexibility allows people to control their emotional stability and helps them to overcome difficulties in difficult situations. On the other hand, due to entrepreneurship, people with high psychological capital tend to reduce stress in the workplace and contribute to the sustainable development of the enterprise.

Hasan, M., Guampe, F.A. and Maruf, M.I., 2019. Entrepreneurship learning, positive psychological capital and entrepreneur competence of students: a research study. Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 7(1), p.425.

According to Hasan, M., Guampe, F.A. and Maruf, M.I., 2019 Psychological capital surpasses material wealth (our possessions), intellectual wealth (our knowledge and expertise acquired through education and practice), relational wealth (our understanding and the prospects provided by our network of connections), and encompasses four key blends: confidence, positivity, aspiration, and adaptability. The synergistic outcomes of these four components will be more substantial and extensive than any one of them individually.

3.Table 1 in the method section should be put as an addendum. The authors can specify the variables considered. They can also discuss the nature and contents of the questions/items BUT the whole bunch of questions here (as items) is not necessary.

We moved the table to the annexes

4- It looks like the authors have forgotten to mention/specify the RESULTS section. In the present form, the method section is described as a RESULT section. This is a serious editorial omission as well. I urge the journal editor to be mindful of such major overlook/omissions. I literally stopped reviewing the paper further as the article is structurally flawed [However, a corrected version found on June 1 shows that a "Results and Discussion" section is inserted) though there is literally no discussion on the Findings. Eventually, the Conclusion that has been drawn is not properly reflective of the theory, hypothesis, and research objective.  

According to the findings, the four psychological capital elements (optimism, self-efficacy, hope, and resilience) condition the relationship between young graduates' academic support and their intention to start a green business, as well as the relationship between Saudi graduates' social capital and their intention to start a green business.

This explains why academic assistance is crucial for the growth of ecological entrepreneurship. Programs and courses that encourage green entrepreneurship have a large and beneficial influence on graduates' inclinations to pursue green businesses. This explains why the assumption that academic support for green entrepreneurship has a significant impact on the development of green entrepreneurial intent is not rejected. This beneficial influence is due to entrepreneurship training programs that have a significant impact on green entrepreneurial intent. This favorable impact is subject to psychological capital's presence.

By providing them the mental fortitude to overcome the impacts of business failure or fragility, take the risk, and be more innovative, psychological capital aids young graduates in starting a green firm (Baron, Franklin, & Hmieleski, 2013). Stress levels are lower among young Saudi graduates with good psychological capital. Thus, we believe that a recent graduate with a high level of psychological capital would be better able to recover and handle any circumstances in order to succeed or recover.

Thus, young graduates' social capital has a favorable effect on their intentions to start green businesses, but the effect is significantly larger and more substantial when social capital is paired with psychological capital. The link between social capital and the intention to engage in green entrepreneurship is therefore considered to be conditional on psychological capital.   Therefore, the substantial moderating effect of young graduates' psychological capital may greatly alter the strength of the strong and weak linkages of the entrepreneur's social capital to influence young graduates' intentions for starting a green business more firmly. According to our findings, businesspeople with greater psychological capital also have more determined intents to pursue green ventures. Young graduates may find green company prospects and start their green entrepreneurial path by combining their psychological capital with their professional, social, and familial links. Their capacity to establish and run a green firm is much improved by these contacts.

The entrepreneur's social capital can bolster his psychological capabilities. The research has specifically underlined the significance of strong bonds, including support from family or a spouse, in the shift to business. The formation of green entrepreneurial intent may be impacted at all phases of the entrepreneurial process thanks to psychological capital's four sub-dimensions: self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience.

The benefits of social capital are many, but getting trustworthy finance, exchanging precise information, and transferring implicit knowledge are especially crucial if not necessary for a firm to get off the ground. A new green firm must also have psychological capital, according to De Hoe and Janssen (2016). It is true that having a strong social network helps entrepreneurs set objectives, improve their capacity to deal with challenges, and recover from setbacks with the help of their loved ones.

The formation of a green entrepreneurial intention may thus be inferred when the entrepreneur's social capital is linked to positive psychological dispositions. In other words, we discovered that the intention to develop a green initiative is conditionally influenced by the four psychological capital components taken together. The Person test, which demonstrated a substantial intensity of dependency on the growth of a green entrepreneurial intention offered by psychological capital, verified this.

5- Referencing in many places need to be fixed, for example, in line 69 it’s better to specify the authors rather than "14 and 15 mentions" etc

Shook et al. [6] Krueger et al. [7] Germon et al.[8]Almobaireek and  Manolova. [9], Douglas and  Fitzsimmons. [10], Moriano, Gorgievski, Laguna, Stephan, & Zarafshani. [11] ,Soomro et al.[12] , Yi [13]..
Brzynska et al. [14] and Bogatyreva et al. [15]

Brzynska et al. [14] and Bogatyreva et al. [15]

Bennett [16] and Berle [17] 

Galkina and Hultman [18

Sieger et al [33]., Chege et  Wang[34].  Ho et al. [35].,Dean et McMullen,[36].;Gobierno de Espa~na,[37].

Do Paço [39]

Uzzi [40], Molina-Morales et al[41],Ghodbane.A et Affes. H [42], Williams, Huggins et Thompson, [43].

In this context, Lin et al. [44]

Chia and Liang [50],

Hasan et al. [51].

Krueger et al. [60

Wilson, F et al .[61],

Carayanis and Von Zedtwitz [62],

Luthans and Youssef [63],

Luthans et al [67],

Bae et al. [80],

6.Overall, the article has the potential to be published, however, it has to be drastically revised and structurally reorganized.

We have tried to radically revise the article according to your observation

7.The quality of English is not satisfactory. The draft version of the article must be checked with a professional English Language Editor. Again, the final version should be re-checked by the same person.

The English language has been reviewed by an English language specialist

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

 Overall, the study investigates a meaningful topic in the Saudi context. However, concerning the overall quality of the manuscript, there are really many big problems:

1.Abstract: it is too long and I think Sustainability normally does not publish papers with such a long abstract.

2. Citation issues, e.g. [14] and [15] should present the names of authors first and put the numbers at the end of the sentence.

3. Hypothesis development: the figure used to show the model is poorly drawn.

4. Methodology: this section is very weak. Authors do not present the information regarding how the questionnaire was developed and how the reliability and credibility of the questionnaire can be ensured. In the subsequent section, there is a table summarizing the measurement, but there is even no mentioning of such a table in the main contents.

5. Results: authors descriptively present the statistical result of the testing, but there is no detailed discussion about the results. If all hypotheses are confirmed and all are the same as previous studies, then what is the meaning to conduct the study?

6. Conclusion: this section is rather weak as well. What is the theoretical and managerial implication: The implications are important for an academic study.

7. Format issue, line 60, line 126; I also sense the letters of line 68-70 and line 77-86 are bigger than letters in other parts.

8. Language: there are also some grammatical issues throughout the whole manuscript.

Some sentences are not grammatical and thus it is better to have one more round of professional editing for the manuscript. 

Author Response

Response to reviewer report 2

 

1.Abstract: it is too long and I think Sustainability normally does not publish papers with such a long abstract.

The aim of this paper is to show the crucial role of universities in the preparation of future green entrepreneurs, as well as the importance of social capital in ensuring the necessary resources and emotional support to develop a green entrepreneurial intention of young graduates, as well as the importance of psychological capital as a variable between the academic support offered by universities and the development of a green entrepreneurial intention and also between the social capital of entrepreneurs and the development of a green entrepreneurial intention.

The results of this research show strong support for green entrepreneurship through university programs and courses, which clearly have a positive impact on the intent to create green projects. Similarly, the social capital of recent graduates provides not only the necessary resources, but also moral, emotional and material support. Thus, green entrepreneurial intentions depend on the positive psychological capital that can be developed in an individual, which is precisely the feeling of personal efficiency, optimism about success that makes the effort to succeed in difficult tasks. Thus, psychological capital moderates both the relationship between academic support for entrepreneurship and the intention to create green projects, and the relationship between entrepreneurial social capital and the intention to create green projects.

2. Citation issues, e.g. [14] and [15] should present the names of authors first and put the numbers at the end of the sentence.

Shook et al. [6] Krueger et al. [7] Germon et al.[8]Almobaireek and  Manolova. [9], Douglas and  Fitzsimmons. [10], Moriano, Gorgievski, Laguna, Stephan, & Zarafshani. [11] ,Soomro et al.[12] , Yi [13]..
Brzynska et al. [14] and Bogatyreva et al. [15]

Brzynska et al. [14] and Bogatyreva et al. [15]

Bennett [16] and Berle [17] 

Galkina and Hultman [18

Sieger et al [33]., Chege et  Wang[34].  Ho et al. [35].,Dean et McMullen,[36].;Gobierno de Espa~na,[37].

Do Paço [39]

Uzzi [40], Molina-Morales et al[41],Ghodbane.A et Affes. H [42], Williams, Huggins et Thompson, [43].

In this context, Lin et al. [44]

Chia and Liang [50],

Hasan et al. [51].

Krueger et al. [60

Wilson, F et al .[61],

Carayanis and Von Zedtwitz [62],

Luthans and Youssef [63],

Luthans et al [67],

Bae et al. [80],

3.Hypothesis development: the figure used to show the model is poorly drawn.

We reformulated the assumptions this way:

H.1:The academic entrepreneurial support  has a significant impact on the development of green entrepreneurial intention  among young graduates.

H.2: Entrepreneurs' social capital positively influences green entrepreneurial intention among young graduates

H.3: Psychological capital plays a moderator role between academic entrepreneurial support and green entrepreneurial intention among young graduates.

H.4: The association between entrepreneurial social capital and green entrepreneurial intention among young graduates is moderated by psychological capital.

Also, we have improved the research model drawing as following:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

Figure 1. Constructed model of the research

4. Methodology: this section is very weak. Authors do not present the information regarding how the questionnaire was developed and how the reliability and credibility of the questionnaire can be ensured. In the subsequent section, there is a table summarizing the measurement, but there is even no mentioning of such a table in the main contents.

The survey is based on a distributed questionnaire with questions using a Likert Scale with five structured points(Strongly agree, agree, undecided ,disagree, strongly Disagree )to offer quantitative response alternatives. This can produce helpful data and substantially ease the study of answers.

We have added the questionnaires to the annexes

5. Results: authors descriptively present the statistical result of the testing, but there is no detailed discussion about the results. If all hypotheses are confirmed and all are the same as previous studies, then what is the meaning to conduct the study?

According to the findings, the four psychological capital elements (optimism, self-efficacy, hope, and resilience) condition the relationship between young graduates' academic support and their intention to start a green business, as well as the relationship between Saudi graduates' social capital and their intention to start a green business.

This explains why academic assistance is crucial for the growth of ecological entrepreneurship. Programs and courses that encourage green entrepreneurship have a large and beneficial influence on graduates' inclinations to pursue green businesses. This explains why the assumption that academic support for green entrepreneurship has a significant impact on the development of green entrepreneurial intent is not rejected. This beneficial influence is due to entrepreneurship training programs that have a significant impact on green entrepreneurial intent. This favorable impact is subject to psychological capital's presence.

By providing them the mental fortitude to overcome the impacts of business failure or fragility, take the risk, and be more innovative, psychological capital aids young graduates in starting a green firm (Baron, Franklin, & Hmieleski, 2013). Stress levels are lower among young Saudi graduates with good psychological capital. Thus, we believe that a recent graduate with a high level of psychological capital would be better able to recover and handle any circumstances in order to succeed or recover.

Thus, young graduates' social capital has a favorable effect on their intentions to start green businesses, but the effect is significantly larger and more substantial when social capital is paired with psychological capital. The link between social capital and the intention to engage in green entrepreneurship is therefore considered to be conditional on psychological capital.   Therefore, the substantial moderating effect of young graduates' psychological capital may greatly alter the strength of the strong and weak linkages of the entrepreneur's social capital to influence young graduates' intentions for starting a green business more firmly. According to our findings, businesspeople with greater psychological capital also have more determined intents to pursue green ventures. Young graduates may find green company prospects and start their green entrepreneurial path by combining their psychological capital with their professional, social, and familial links. Their capacity to establish and run a green firm is much improved by these contacts.

The entrepreneur's social capital can bolster his psychological capabilities. The research has specifically underlined the significance of strong bonds, including support from family or a spouse, in the shift to business. The formation of green entrepreneurial intent may be impacted at all phases of the entrepreneurial process thanks to psychological capital's four sub-dimensions: self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience.

The benefits of social capital are many, but getting trustworthy finance, exchanging precise information, and transferring implicit knowledge are especially crucial if not necessary for a firm to get off the ground. A new green firm must also have psychological capital, according to De Hoe and Janssen (2016). It is true that having a strong social network helps entrepreneurs set objectives, improve their capacity to deal with challenges, and recover from setbacks with the help of their loved ones.

The formation of a green entrepreneurial intention may thus be inferred when the entrepreneur's social capital is linked to positive psychological dispositions. In other words, we discovered that the intention to develop a green initiative is conditionally influenced by the four psychological capital components taken together. The Person test, which demonstrated a substantial intensity of dependency on the growth of a green entrepreneurial intention offered by psychological capital, verified this.

6. Conclusion: this section is rather weak as well. What is the theoretical and managerial implication: The implications are important for an academic study.

The aim of this study is to diagnose the importance of academic support and social capital among young Saudi graduates in promoting green entrepreneurial intentions to protect the environment. Good academic training and social support can improve personal attitudes and motivate young graduates to find green project opportunities. The study indicates that young graduates' belief in their ability to achieve goals and cope with different situations is an important factor in their motivation to take action and their perseverance in achieving their goals. Thus, as we have shown, psychological capital reflects an individual's level of well-being, and its four dimensions are efficacy, optimism, resilience and hope. It also highlights the importance of integrating psychological capital for entrepreneurs to succeed in business. The results of the study revealed that social capital characteristics also had a significant impact on the intentions of young Saudi graduates to engage in green entrepreneurship. For entrepreneurs, relational capital is essential to ensure access to the necessary emotional support and resources.

This research methodology also enables us to observe the contribution of psychological capital, which can amplify the contributions of universities and social capital in shaping green entrepreneurship among young Saudi graduates.

7. Format issue, line 60, line 126; I also sense the letters of line 68-70 and line 77-86 are bigger than letters in other parts.

We have modified the format of lines 60, line 126,68-70,77-86 in new roman size 12 according to the template

8. Language: there are also some grammatical issues throughout the whole manuscript

The English language has been reviewed by an English language specialist

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

The paper has been revised considerably; however, the structure, standard/quality of composition, overall narration, etc are still poor. In the present form, it is quite difficult to read through because of awkward, complex, and poor composition. 

I appreciate the revision in the 'literature review and hypothesis development section; however, the author needs to understand how to simplify and contextualize the review materials. As well, they need to establish a better linkage between the arguments of the literature and the hypothesis they are developing. Therefore, considerable revision is required in the literature review and hypothesis development section. If too many sentences need to be started with 'According to' then the ability of the authors to write a paper is questionable!  I would advise the authors to synthesize the review section to an extent that at least 25% of the composition is reduced.

I am not sure how (method-wise) the authors have carried out this study, as the method section has not been well described in terms of: how the sample was chosen, what is the population size, how the sample size was determined etc.

Now, the overall Results section looks confounded. It is quite confusing to figure out for a reader as to how the results are found. I would ask the authors to take out tables 1-3 to the annex and present Table 4 in a different way (such as a chart or graph etc).

 There are inappropriate and wrong words in many places, errors/typos, tense/grammar/syntax related mismatch.     

If the paper is to be published, I still think it has to be checked again by a good professional English language editor. The structure, style, and quality of the writing must be improved. For example, in too many places the sentence starts with "According to" -- it happens repeatedly and for consecutive sentences.  In the present form, it is quite difficult to read through because of awkward, complex, and poor composition. Therefore, the foremost precondition for this paper is to have an extensive (MAJOR) language revision. If the authors fail to make a better impression with the quality of their composition, I will rather ask the editor to reject the paper.

Author Response

Responses to reviewer comments 1

 

1.The paper has been revised considerably; however, the structure, standard/quality of composition, overall narration, etc are still poor. In the present form, it is quite difficult to read through because of awkward, complex, and poor composition. 

We tried to simplify the composition and structure of the article to make it clearer and more readable, and to rewrite it in simple, uncomplicated sentences. 

2.I appreciate the revision in the 'literature review and hypothesis development section; however, the author needs to understand how to simplify and contextualize the review materials. As well, they need to establish a better linkage between the arguments of the literature and the hypothesis they are developing. Therefore, considerable revision is required in the literature review and hypothesis development section. If too many sentences need to be started with 'According to' then the ability of the authors to write a paper is questionable!  I would advise the authors to synthesize the review section to an extent that at least 25% of the composition is reduced.

We have corrected the part "analysis of the literature and development of hypotheses" by simplifying the arguments of the literature and avoiding the repetition of some ideas and to reorganize the ideas so that they are clearer. We have reformulated the hypotheses:

H.1: Academic entrepreneurial support has a significant impact on green entrepreneurial intention among young graduates.

H.2: Green entrepreneurial intention among young graduates is positively influenced by entrepreneurs' social capital.

H.3: Young graduates' psychological capital moderates the relationship between academic entrepreneurial support and green entrepreneurial intention.

H.4: Psychological capital moderates the relationship between entrepreneurial social capital and green entrepreneurial intention among young graduates.

Also, we have reformulated the sentences composed by "according" for example "The findings of Hasan et al [51]". We have reduced the number of sentences starting with the word "according"

From the point of view of Luthans, Youssef et al. [89],

Etc….

We have tried to synthesize and reorganize the paragraphs while keeping the richness of the chosen literature review. Some ideas are complex, we have reduced this complexity as much as possible

We have tried to reduce the literature review as much as possible while keeping the links between the sentences so that the review is well-welded

 

3.I am not sure how (method-wise) the authors have carried out this study, as the method section has not been well described in terms of: how the sample was chosen, what is the population size, how the sample size was determined etc.

3. Research Methodology

Quantitative research methodology is employed. We performed some preparation to choose the statistical tests to apply based on the research questions and data before we ever gathered it, in order to correctly assess the quantitative data in our research.

 

3.1.Sample

We described the characteristics of the sample using the following variables: sex, age and qualification. The questionnaire was distributed to all Saudi graduates from all Saudi public universities. The total number of the sample was 458 graduates. 325 were male, representing 71% of the total sample, and 133 were female, representing 29% of the total sample(see appendix 1). 319 graduates were aged between 20 and 25, representing 69.7% of the total number, 31 graduates were aged between 25 and 30, representing 6.8% of the total sample, 38 graduates were aged between 30 and 35, representing 8.3% of the total sample ,too. Meanwhile,70 graduates were aged over 35, representing 15.3% of the total sample (see appendix 2). 21 people have a vocational diploma, representing 4.6% of the total sample. Also, 405 people have a bachelor's degree at a rate of 88.4 % of asked graduates, 16 participants in the questionnaire have a master's degree at a rate of 3.5 % of the total sample and 16 people as well, have a doctorate degree at a rate of 3.5 % of the total sample, too (see appendix 3).  

3.2.Data collection and instrument

Data collection used a Google Forms survey, which took place online on 01/11/2022 until 25/01/2023. Data was collected using a questionnaire that was distributed to Saudi graduates via social media such as WhatsApp and e-mail. For ethical reasons, the questionnaire was applied to students who agreed to participate after reading the statement “We are committed to viewing the information obtained confidentially. It will only be used for research purposes”.

The methodology chosen for this research follows time-tested steps; it begins with the selection of a sample of respondents, recent university graduates, either directly or through the mediation of social networks such as university e-mails, Whats App student groups and graduate students, etc… Then, it determines the structure of the questionnaire and the type of questions to be asked, as well as the means of questionnaire distribution and data collection. In fact, the survey is based on a distributed questionnaire with questions using a Likert Scale with five structured points (Strongly agree =1,Agree=2, Undecided = 3, Disagree =4 , Strongly disagree = 5) to offer quantitative response alternatives. This can produce helpful data and substantially facilitates the study of answers.The questionnaire contains four sections (see appendix 4). The first section is "Academic entrepreneurial support" expressed and measured by six items inspired by the works of Sieger et al. [ 33] ; Chege, S. M.and  Wang, D. [ 34] Ho et al.[ 35] ; Dean, T. J. et  McMullen, J. S. [ 36] and Gobierno de Espa~na, [ 37] also the second section is entitled "Entrepreneurial social capital" measured by 11 items excerpted from research of   Uzzi, B. [10]; Molina-Morales F.X. and Martinez-Fernandez .[41] and  Ghodbane, A.and  Affes, H. [42]. The third section is entitled "Psychological capital "measured by 12 items taken from research of Luthans, F .[67] ;Tang, M et al . [68] ; Welter, C. and Scrimpshire, A. [69] ; Slåtten, T et al  [70] ; Tang, J.J. [71] and Hasan, M  et al .[72]. The fourth section is entitled "Green entrepreneurial intention" measured by five items drawn from research of  Shook, C.L et al . [6] ; Krueger JR  et al .[7] ; Germon, R. [8] ; Almobaireek, W. N. and  Manolova, T. S. [9] ; Douglas, E. J. and  Fitzsimmons, J. R. [10] and Moriano, J. A et al  [11].

3.3.Data Analysis

The statistical processing program SPSS 27 was used to analyze survey data because it allows for deeper and quicker data exploration and offers more potent capabilities than traditional spreadsheets, databases, or multidimensional analyst-only systems. We choose SPSS 27 for a number of reasons, including its dependability for data entry, database administration, data processing, and variable coding and recoding. data analysis techniques like univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis. In a similar vein, SPSS 27 provides more suitable graphics.

4.Now, the overall Results section looks confounded. It is quite confusing to figure out for a reader as to how the results are found. I would ask the authors to take out tables 1-3 to the annex and present Table 4 in a different way (such as a chart or graph etc).

We have removed tables 1 to 3 from the appendix and we have presented table 4 in the form of graphs Figure 2.The results of the symmetry index (Skewness) and the flattening index (Kurtosis)

5. There are inappropriate and wrong words in many places, errors/typos, tense/grammar/syntax related mismatch.   

  We have corrected all errors / typos, time / grammar / syntax related discrepancies.We have reduced the complexity of sentences by an expert  

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Authors have made some improvements regarding the manuscirpt, but the overall revision is not that good. 

There are obvious format issues which affect reading. Please address them properly.  

The newly added contents do not follow the MDPI style in the manuscript. 

The name of the figure seems awkward. Normally, studies will use conceptual model or construct. 

When was the data collected?

Please revise the format of the tables which report the statistical results. 

I cannot see many citations in the discussion section, which means authors do not compare the results of this study with previous ones completely. 

Author Response

Responses to reviewer comments 2

 

 

1.Authors have made some improvements regarding the manuscirpt, but the overall revision is not that good. 

We tried to revise the entire article word by word so that it could be improved. We have reviewed the literature, the research methodology, the general structure of the article, also correcting English mistakes by an expert

2.There are obvious format issues which affect reading. Please address them properly.  

We tried to solve the problems of structure and links between paragraphs and ideas, the corrections are in this revised version of the article.

3.The newly added contents do not follow the MDPI style in the manuscript. 

We have tried in this revision that the content is revised to conform to the style of MDPI

4.The name of the figure seems awkward. Normally, studies will use conceptual model or construct. 

We have renamed the model title “Constructed model of the research” by the following title “Conceptual framework of the study”

5.When was the data collected?

Data collection used a Google Forms survey, which took place online on 01/11/2022 until 25/01/2023. Data was collected using a questionnaire that was distributed to Saudi graduates via social media such as WhatsApp and e-mail. For ethical reasons, the questionnaire was applied to students who agreed to participate after reading the statement “We are committed to viewing the information obtained confidentially. It will only be used for research purposes”.

6.Please revise the format of the tables which report the statistical results. 

We have improved the form of the tables as much as possible

Table 1. Result of the dependency intensity test of the development determinants of a green entrepreneurial intention.

Academic entrepreneurial support	Development of a green entrepreneurial intention
Chi-Square p-value Degree of freedom Cramer's V (p-value)	80.439*** 0.0000 4 0.296(0.000)
Social capital of the entrepreneur	Development of a green entrepreneurial intention
Chi-Square p-value Degree of freedom Cramer's V(p-value)	70.582*** 0.000 4 0.278(0.000)
Psychological Capital	Development of a green entrepreneurial intention
Chi-Square p-value Degree of freedom Cramer's V	105.129*** 0.000 4 0.339 0.000

 

Table 2. Analysis of variance of green entrepreneurial intention versus academic university support

ANOVA
	Sum of Squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
Between Groups	1466,572	2	733,286	46,214	,000
Within Groups	7219,524	455	15,867
Total	8686,096	457

 

 

Table 4. Estimation results Dependent variable: development of a green entrepreneurial intention           

Variables	M1		M2
	Coefficient	Sig	Coefficient		Sig
Academic entrepreneurial support	0,235	0.000	0.276		0.000
Social Capital	0,029	0,576	0.325		0.002
Psychological Capital	0,466	0,000	0,478		0.000
Academic entrepreneurial support* Psychological Capital	***	***	0.457		0.000
Social Capital* Psychological Capital	***	***	0.311		0.044
R	0 ,621		0.772
R² adjusted	0,382		0.421
Fisher (p-value)	94,958 (0.000)			142,495 (0.000)

 

7.I cannot see many citations in the discussion section, which means authors do not compare the results of this study with previous ones completely. 

We have added citations that are consistent with the developed content to further enrich the discussion:Discussion

  The results show that the relationship between young graduates' academic support and their intention to start a green business, as well as the relationship between Saudi graduates' social capital and their intention to start a green business, are both conditioned by the four psychological capital elements, optimism, self-efficacy, hope, and resilience.

This justifies the need of academic support for the development of ecological entrepreneurship intention [31,32,94]. Graduates' propensity to launch green firms is significantly and favorably influenced by programs and courses that promote green entrepreneurship. Academic support for green entrepreneurship has a big influence on green entrepreneurial intent develops [95]. This advantageous effect is attributable to entrepreneurship training programs, which significantly affect green entrepreneurs' intentions [96]. The existence of psychological capital affects this positive effect.

By providing them with the mental fortitude to overcome the impacts of business failure or fragility, take the risk, and be more innovative, psychological capital aids young graduates in starting a green firm [97, 98,99,100]. Stress levels are lower among young Saudi graduates with good psychological capital. Thus, we believe that a recent graduate with a high level of psychological capital would be better able to recover and handle any circumstances to succeed or recover.

Hence, young graduates' social capital has a favorable effect on their intentions to start green businesses, but the effect is significantly larger and more substantial when social capital is paired with psychological capital. The link between social capital and the intention to engage in green entrepreneurship is therefore considered to be conditioned by psychological capital.   Therefore, the substantial moderating effect of young graduates' psychological capital may greatly alter the strength of the strong and weak linkages of the entrepreneur's social capital to influence young graduates' intentions for starting a green business more firmly. According to our findings, entrepreneurs with greater psychological capital also have more determined intent to pursue green ventures. Young graduates may find green company prospects and start their green entrepreneurial path by combining their psychological capital with their professional, social, and familial links. Their capacity to establish and run a green firm is much improved by these contacts.

The entrepreneur's social capital can bolster their psychological capabilities. The research has specifically underlined the significance of strong bonds, including support from a family or a spouse, in the shift to business.. The formation of green entrepreneurial intent may be impacted at all phases of the entrepreneurial process thanks to the psychological capital's four sub-dimensions: self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience [101,102].

The benefits of social capital are many, but getting trustworthy finance, exchanging precise information, and transferring implicit knowledge are especially crucial if not necessary for a firm to get off the ground. A new green firm must also have psychological capital, according to De Hoe and Janssen [91]. It is true that having a strong social network helps entrepreneurs set objectives, improve their capacity to deal with challenges, and recover from setbacks with the help of their loved ones.

Thus, it is possible to deduce the development of a green entrepreneurial purpose when the entrepreneur's social capital is connected to favorable psychological dispositions [103]. In other words, we found that the four psychological capital components, when combined conditionally, impact the ambition to create a green project. This was confirmed by the Person test, which showed a significant intensity of dependence on the development of a green entrepreneurial ambition provided by psychological capital

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 3

Reviewer 1 Report

I will advise the authors to revise section 3.2 (Data Collection and Instrument). So many unnecessary references in the second paragraph of the section made it clumsy. Please wipe out excessive references in this methods part. 

Despite my approval of the publication of this paper, I demand the following language related improvement:

i) English structure and style to be improved further by a professional editor who is highly knowledgeable about manuscript editing. For example, a sentence cannot start with a number  (write it in words if it sits at the beginning of a sentence).

ii) There are many syntax-related issues.

iii) There are also excessively verbose sentences.      

I do not wish to get back to it anymore. If it is looked after by the editorial team, that should be fine.

Author Response

Response to reviewer  report 1

 

1.I will advise the authors to revise section 3.2 (Data Collection and Instrument). So many unnecessary references in the second paragraph of the section made it clumsy. Please wipe out excessive references in this methods part.

Data collection used a Google Forms survey, which took place online on 01/11/2022 until 25/01/2023. Data was collected using a questionnaire that was distributed to Saudi graduates via social media such as WhatsApp and e-mail. For ethical reasons, the questionnaire was applied to students who agreed to participate after reading the statement “We are committed to viewing the information obtained confidentially. It will only be used for research purposes”.

The methodology chosen for this research follows time-tested steps; it begins with the selection of a sample of respondents, recent university graduates, either directly or through the mediation of social networks such as university e-mails, Whats App student groups and graduate students, etc… Then, it determines the structure of the questionnaire and the type of questions to be asked, as well as the means of questionnaire distribution and data collection. In fact, the survey is based on a distributed questionnaire with questions using a Likert Scale with five structured points (Strongly agree =1,Agree=2, Undecided = 3, Disagree =4 , Strongly disagree = 5) to offer quantitative response alternatives. This can produce helpful data and substantially facilitates the study of answers. The questionnaire contains four sections. The first section is "Academic entrepreneurial support" expressed and measured by six items also the second section is entitled "Entrepreneurial social capital" measured by 11 items. The third section is entitled "Psychological capital "measured by 12 items. The fourth section is entitled "Green entrepreneurial intention" measured by five items (see appendix 4).

2.Despite my approval of the publication of this paper, I demand the following language related improvement:

1. i) English structure and style to be improved further by a professional editor who is highly knowledgeable about manuscript editing. For example, a sentence cannot start with a number  (write it in words if it sits at the beginning of a sentence).

We have improved the structure and style of English by a professional expert who is very familiar with manuscript editing. We changed sentences that start with a number to sentences that start with words

We described the characteristics of the sample using the following variables: sex, age and qualification. The questionnaire was distributed to all Saudi graduates from all Saudi public universities. The total number of the sample was 458 graduates. In fact, 325 of the graduates were male, representing 71% of the total sample, and 133 were female, representing 29% of the total sample (see appendix 1). The 319 graduates were aged between 20 and 25, representing 69.7% of the total number, 31 graduates were aged between 25 and 30, characterizing  6.8% of the total sample, 38 graduates were aged between 30 and 35, representing 8.3% of the total sample ,too. Meanwhile,70 graduates were aged over 35, defining  15.3% of the total sample (see appendix 2). Likewise, 21 people have a vocational diploma, representing 4.6% of the total sample. Also, 405 people have a bachelor's degree at a rate of 88.4 % of asked graduates, 16 participants in the questionnaire have a master's degree at a rate of 3.5 % of the total sample and 16 people as well, have a doctorate degree at a rate of 3.5 % of the total sample, too (see appendix 3).

The one-factor analysis of variance reported in the table below shows a strong relationship between entrepreneurs’ social capital and green entrepreneurial intent

1. ii) There are many syntax-related issues.

We fixed syntax related issues.

iii) There are also excessively verbose sentences. 

   We have reduced the number of verbose sentences

 

I do not wish to get back to it anymore. If it is looked after by the editorial team, that should be fine.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

1. Please use the MDPI template to format the whole manuscript. 

2. Why did the data collection process last for such a long time? Will this influence the data interpretation? 

3. Discussion, conclusion, and limitation can be combined as one section with three subsections. Meanwhile, the actual contribution (theoretical and practical aspects) should be clearly presented and also should be highlighted with enough space. 

4. If possible future direction is very limited, it is better to delete this part. Then focus more on talking about the limitation. 

 

Author Response

Response to reviewer  report 2

 

1. Please use the MDPI template to format the whole manuscript. 

We used the MDPI model to format the entire manuscript.

 

2. Why did the data collection process last for such a long time? Will this influence the data interpretation? 

The reason for the long period of data collection is the lack of a quick response by the sample by answering the questionnaire questions, and this has no effect on the research results. We have referred to this point within the limits of the research.

3. Discussion, conclusion, and limitation can be combined as one section with three subsections. Meanwhile, the actual contribution (theoretical and practical aspects) should be clearly presented and also should be highlighted with enough space. 
4. Discussion, conclusion and limitations

5.1. Discussion

  The results show that the relationship between young graduates' academic support and their intention to start a green business, as well as the relationship between Saudi graduates' social capital and their intention to start a green business, are both conditioned by the four psychological capital elements, optimism, self-efficacy, hope, and resilience.

This justifies the need of academic support for the development of ecological entrepreneurship intention [31,32,94]. Graduates' propensity to launch green firms is significantly and favorably influenced by programs and courses that promote green entrepreneurship. Academic support for green entrepreneurship has a big influence on green entrepreneurial intent develops [95]. This advantageous effect is attributable to entrepreneurship training programs, which significantly affect green entrepreneurs' intentions [96]. The existence of psychological capital affects this positive effect.

By providing them with the mental fortitude to overcome the impacts of business failure or fragility, take the risk, and be more innovative, psychological capital aids young graduates in starting a green firm [97, 98,99,100]. Stress levels are lower among young Saudi graduates with good psychological capital. Thus, we believe that a recent graduate with a high level of psychological capital would be better able to recover and handle any circumstances to succeed or recover.

Hence, young graduates' social capital has a favorable effect on their intentions to start green businesses, but the effect is significantly larger and more substantial when social capital is paired with psychological capital. The link between social capital and the intention to engage in green entrepreneurship is therefore considered to be conditioned by psychological capital.   Therefore, the substantial moderating effect of young graduates' psychological capital may greatly alter the strength of the strong and weak linkages of the entrepreneur's social capital to influence young graduates' intentions for starting a green business more firmly. According to our findings, entrepreneurs with greater psychological capital also have more determined intent to pursue green ventures. Young graduates may find green company prospects and start their green entrepreneurial path by combining their psychological capital with their professional, social, and familial links. Their capacity to establish and run a green firm is much improved by these contacts.

The entrepreneur's social capital can bolster their psychological capabilities. The research has specifically underlined the significance of strong bonds, including support from a family or a spouse, in the shift to business.. The formation of green entrepreneurial intent may be impacted at all phases of the entrepreneurial process thanks to the psychological capital's four sub-dimensions: self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience [101,102].

The benefits of social capital are many, but getting trustworthy finance, exchanging precise information, and transferring implicit knowledge are especially crucial if not necessary for a firm to get off the ground. A new green firm must also have psychological capital, according to De Hoe and Janssen [91]. It is true that having a strong social network helps entrepreneurs set objectives, improve their capacity to deal with challenges, and recover from setbacks with the help of their loved ones.

Thus, it is possible to deduce the development of a green entrepreneurial purpose when the entrepreneur's social capital is connected to favorable psychological dispositions [103]. In other words, we found that the four psychological capital components, when combined conditionally, impact the ambition to create a green project. This was confirmed by the Person test, which showed a significant intensity of dependence on the development of a green entrepreneurial ambition provided by psychological capital.

5.2. Conclusion

The aim of this study is to diagnose the importance of academic support and social capital among young Saudi graduates in promoting green entrepreneurial intentions to protect the environment. A developed academic training and social support can improve personal attitudes and motivate young graduates to find green project opportunities. The study indicates that young graduates' belief in their ability to achieve goals and cope with different situations is an important factor in their motivation to take action and their perseverance in achieving their goals. As a result, we have demonstrated that psychological capital has four dimensions: effectiveness, optimism, resilience, and hope. It indicates a person's level of well-being. It also emphasizes how important it is for company owners to include psychological capital.

The results of the study revealed that social capital characteristics also had a significant impact on the intentions of young Saudi graduates to engage in green entrepreneurship. For entrepreneurs, relational capital is essential to ensure access to the necessary emotional support and resources.

This research methodology also enables us to observe the contribution of psychological capital, which can amplify the contributions of universities and social capital in shaping green entrepreneurship among young Saudi graduates.

5.3. Limitations

Our study presents some limits. Among the most important difficulties that we faced throughout this research, we can mention the low-response questionnaire that was distributed to 11 universities from the public sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The researchers expected more responses to the questionnaire. Also, one of the most important difficulties that we found was the scarcity of the sources and references dealing with this subject, since it covers a new area of scientific research. One of the most significant research obstacles that faced researchers during this study is the lack of available sources and references that represent previous studies. The stage of collecting the scientific material for scientific research is one of the most accurate stages of preparing and writing the research. After the researchers completed the stage of choosing the problem of scientific research in Shari’ah in collecting information and data that are mainly related to the various and reliable sources and references, which are related, in whole or in part, to the topic of the current scientific research, it took time Researchers a long time in order to collect these studies.

 In addition to the difficulties mentioned above, which we encountered while writing this research, we mention the slow response and sending of responses by the studied sample, but this had no effect on the novelty of the research or its results.

 

4. If possible future direction is very limited, it is better to delete this part. Then focus more on talking about the limitation. 

5.3. Limitations

Our study presents some limits. Among the most important difficulties that we faced throughout this research, we can mention the low-response questionnaire that was distributed to 11 universities from the public sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The researchers expected more responses to the questionnaire. Also, one of the most important difficulties that we found was the scarcity of the sources and references dealing with this subject, since it covers a new area of scientific research. One of the most significant research obstacles that faced researchers during this study is the lack of available sources and references that represent previous studies. The stage of collecting the scientific material for scientific research is one of the most accurate stages of preparing and writing the research. After the researchers completed the stage of choosing the problem of scientific research in Shari’ah in collecting information and data that are mainly related to the various and reliable sources and references, which are related, in whole or in part, to the topic of the current scientific research, it took time Researchers a long time in order to collect these studies.

 In addition to the difficulties mentioned above, which we encountered while writing this research, we mention the slow response and sending of responses by the studied sample, but this had no effect on the novelty of the research or its results.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx