The Formation Mechanism of Sustainable Entrepreneurial Behavior in Chinese New Ventures: A Moderated Mediation Model

Abstract

Sustainable entrepreneurship is essential for promoting the integrated development of economic, environmental, and social systems, particularly in emerging economies such as China. Drawing on social identity theory and resource bricolage theory, this study examines how founder identity influences sustainable entrepreneurial behavior and also explores the mediating role of entrepreneurial bricolage and the moderating effect of perceived uncertainty. Using survey data from 210 Chinese new ventures, the hypotheses were tested by structural equation modeling and moderated mediation analysis. The empirical results indicate that founder identity positively influences sustainable entrepreneurship, with entrepreneurial bricolage partially mediating this relationship. Moreover, perceived uncertainty weakens the positive relationship between founder identity and bricolage. It also reduces the indirect effect of bricolage on sustainable entrepreneurship, indicating that higher uncertain environments constrain entrepreneurs’ willingness to rely on bricolage as a resource acquisition strategy. By elucidating the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions through which founder identity influences sustainable entrepreneurial behavior, this study enriches micro-level research on sustainable entrepreneurship. It also provides practical insights for entrepreneurs and policymakers in strengthening strategic resilience and fostering the development of sustainable entrepreneurship.

1. Introduction

Academic research on social entrepreneurship and green entrepreneurship finds that “entrepreneurship can not only promote economic growth but also realize the sustainable development of the environment and society” [1,2,3,4]. From the perspective of institutional economics, environmental degradation and other forms of social harm are often regarded as inevitable results of economic development, which in turn give rise to market failures and create opportunities for sustainable entrepreneurship [5]. However, the “market-driven logic” of sustainable entrepreneurship is challenged, and scholars have pointed out that the behavior of sustainable entrepreneurs is mission-driven [1], with a focus on the entrepreneurs’ value orientation and social cognition process [6,7]. As a crucial means for fostering economic development, reducing poverty and enhancing environmental quality, sustainable entrepreneurship closely aligns with China’s current need for high-quality development [8]. Therefore, fostering sustainable entrepreneurship represents an important pathway to achieving high-quality growth in China. Against the backdrop of China’s rapid economic transformation and profound institutional reforms, mounting environmental and resource constraints, along with growing social inequalities, have rendered traditional business models inadequate for sustaining long-term corporate development. Enterprises now urgently need to pursue business model innovation guided by sustainability principles [9]. Sustainable entrepreneurship is increasingly recognized as a vital pathway to balance economic development with environmental protection and social responsibility.

Since the development of entrepreneurship, a vast stream of literature has focused on founder identity [10,11,12]. Scholars emphasize that founder identity exerts a systematic and meaningful influence on opportunity recognition and resource acquisition behavior [13,14]. To date, the researchers have observed a salient connection between founder identity and sustainable entrepreneurship [15,16]. This connection is especially evident in new ventures. Compared with established firms, new ventures are typically younger and are often founded by members of a younger generation who tend to be more receptive to new ideas and paradigms. Since the strategic direction of such ventures is closely tied to their founders’ perspectives, this greater openness makes it more likely for them to adopt sustainable entrepreneurship principles and translate them into concrete business practices. Therefore, dominated by the founders’ behavior in start-up ventures, the entrepreneurial process usually reflects founders’ cognitive process [17]. Crosina et al. [18] conducted a three-year in-depth field investigation of first-time entrepreneurs, revealing the dynamic identity relationship between founders and their enterprises—including identification levels and psychological distance—and how these relationships evolve over time to exert strategic influence on new business development. Fauchart and Gruber [12], based on social identity theory, assert that entrepreneurial activity is the expression of the founders’ self-concept [11,19]. Therefore, our study builds on prior research by integrating the influence of founders’ identity on sustainable entrepreneurial behavior, extending existing models to explain the formation mechanism of sustainable entrepreneurship.

Conceptual models [20,21] and strategic actions [1,5,22,23,24,25] intended to obtain legitimacy and balance sustainable goals with financial goals have been explored from various perspectives. Although previous studies have generated the impressive knowledge, two major blind spots have constrained the development of research on sustainable ventures. First, existing research has explored the impact of sustainable entrepreneurs’ market-driven motivation on their behavior [23], which focused on the characteristics of innovation, initiative and risk-taking behavior but did not directly discuss how entrepreneurs achieve the multiple purposes of sustainable entrepreneurship under a lack of resources. As Chen et al. [8] noted, domestic studies in China rarely engage with the entrepreneurial process itself, leaving the mechanisms through which founders mobilize and recombine limited resources largely unexplored. The presence of “mixed mission” makes it extremely challenging for sustainable start-ups to survive in a highly competitive market [26,27]. Second, the entrepreneurial decision-making process is influenced by entrepreneurs’ perception of environmental uncertainty. Meek et al. [28] demonstrated the comprehensive role of the social system in influencing sustainable entrepreneurial activities. However, research is limited in exploring the environmental influence on sustainable entrepreneurs’ decision-making process. Among the various types of sustainable entrepreneurship [5,29], particularly within resource-constrained entrepreneurial environment, little attention has been paid to perceived uncertainty by founders. This is particularly important for Chinese start-ups, as they usually operate in an unstable and rapidly changing institutional environment.

How can potential sustainable entrepreneurs obtain resources to survive and develop in a narrow niche market? Bricolage, proposed by Lévi-Strauss in 1967, refers to discovering the potential value behind a problem during the process of solving problems. This concept was introduced by Baker and Nelson [30] into the research on entrepreneurial resource acquisition behavior. The existing research has been inclined to regard bricolage as a choice for innovation when resources are limited [31] and as a behavior to overcome new challenges [30]. Against this background, we investigate how founder identity and perceived uncertainty independently and jointly influence resource bricolage behavior and sustainable entrepreneurship. Focusing on new ventures in China, this study directly addresses the call for more context-sensitive and methodologically rigorous research in sustainable entrepreneurship [8]. And then, it reveals how founder identity, under conditions of severe resource constraints, translates into sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial actions through the mechanism of entrepreneurial bricolage, thereby deepening the understanding of the micro-level processes in sustainable entrepreneurship. In addition, by highlighting the moderating role of perceived uncertainty as a contextual factor shaping sustainable entrepreneurial decisions, the research broadens the perspective on how environmental uncertainty influences such behavior. Finally, given the relative lack of focus on small and medium-sized enterprises in existing studies [32], this paper examines new ventures in China—thus extending theories of sustainable entrepreneurship and resource bricolage to institutional settings beyond developed economies and enhancing the contextual applicability and explanatory power of existing theories. By focusing on both the characteristics of founder identity and the impact of perceived uncertainty, our study seeks to advance a more integrated and comparative understanding of resource acquisition and the individual behavior-forming process of sustainable ventures [17], enabling founder identity exploration in more effective and successful sustainable venture models [33].

The following section outlines the brief theoretical background supporting our hypotheses on founder identity and resource acquisition within sustainable ventures. Subsequently, we describe the empirical setting and the research design employed for hypothesis testing. The hypotheses are then examined, the empirical results are reported, and a series of robustness analyses are conducted to assess the stability of the findings. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for micro-level studies of sustainable ventures and practices, as well as for the broader literature on sustainable entrepreneurship and founder identity.

2. Theoretical Development and Hypotheses

2.1. Theoretical Background

This research is grounded in social identity theory and entrepreneurial bricolage theory. Social identity theory [34] emphasizes that individuals construct their self-concept through their perceived membership in social groups and seek to maintain a positive self-evaluation by distinguishing their in-groups from relevant out-groups. Founder identity reflects entrepreneurs’ internal understanding of “who I am,” while entrepreneurial behavior represents the external expression of this identity [12]. Prior research suggests that founders with a strong sense of social responsibility, environmental concern, or altruistic motivation are more likely to pursue economic, social, and environmental value simultaneously, and thus are more inclined to engage in sustainable entrepreneurship [35]. Accordingly, social identity theory provides a motivational foundation for understanding how founder identity drives sustainable entrepreneurship.

Resource bricolage theory further explains how identity-driven motivations are translated into concrete entrepreneurial actions under conditions of resource constraints. Baker and Nelson [30] define entrepreneurial bricolage as a process in which entrepreneurs creatively recombine resources at hand to seize opportunities and address challenges in highly constrained environments. This perspective highlights that entrepreneurs are not passive victims of resource scarcity; instead, they actively engage in improvisation, integration, and recombination to build unique resource configurations. Founders with a strong sustainability-oriented identity are more willing to engage in bricolage-based resource mobilization to overcome constraints and support the joint creation of social and environmental value, reflecting a decision logic that extends beyond short-term economic returns [24]. Therefore, this study argues that founders with a sustainability-oriented identity are more inclined to adopt bricolage practices, through which identity-based motivations are transformed into viable and enduring sustainable entrepreneurship behaviors. In this sense, entrepreneurial bricolage functions as a key mediating mechanism linking founder identity to sustainable entrepreneurship.

However, the enactment of bricolage depends on founders’ perceptions of external environmental conditions. Perceived uncertainty, defined as entrepreneurs’ subjective assessment of the unpredictability of environmental changes and their consequences, strongly influences entrepreneurial decision-making [36,37]. Although uncertainty can generate new opportunities, high levels of perceived uncertainty often intensify risk perceptions, hesitation, and risk-avoidant tendencies [38], thereby constraining flexible and experimental strategies such as bricolage. Under highly uncertain conditions, even founders with strong identity-driven motivations are more likely to adopt defensive and risk-averse behaviors [39]. In this study, perceived uncertainty is conceptualized as a boundary condition that moderates the impact of identity-based bricolage strategies on sustainable entrepreneurship behavior.

2.2. Founder Identity and Sustainable Entrepreneurship

According to the social identity theory, entrepreneurship reflects a series of behaviors related to founder identity [17], which is also the representation of sustainable entrepreneurship [9,11,15,40]. Previous research has observed a vital relation between founder identity and sustainable entrepreneurship. Based on an empirical study of Malaysian small businesses, Chea Hooi et al. [35] discovered that founders with a high sense of social responsibility and altruistic motivation tend to engage in sustainable entrepreneurship. Moreover, the entrepreneurial activities carried out by individuals are deeply influenced by the self-perceived identity of founders, and the sociocultural distance positively moderates the perception of founder identity and entrepreneurial activities [41]. In addition, existing research indicates that mission-driven or altruistically oriented entrepreneurs often prioritize social welfare as a core objective and persist in pursuing sustainable entrepreneurial activities even under resource constraints [15]. Moreover, according to York et al. [23], founders of environmentally friendly companies with both business- and ecology-minded identities will continue to run renewable energy companies. Therefore, drawing on the empirical evidence and theoretical arguments concerning the relationship between founder identity and entrepreneurial behavior, we propose the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 1.

Founder identity is positively related to sustainable entrepreneurship.

2.3. Founder Identity, Bricolage and Sustainable Entrepreneurship

Previous studies have shown that bricolage is strongly associated with founder identity and has a significant impact on sustainable entrepreneurship. Baker and Nelson [30] conclude that founders’ identity will influence their way of thinking and behaving. Stinchfield et al. [42] refer to bricolage as a resource acquisition behavior in facing entrepreneurial challenges. From the perspective of resource bricolage theory, in highly uncertain and resource-scarce entrepreneurial environments, bricolage offers advantages such as lower cost, faster response, and greater adaptability compared with formal resource acquisition [30]. As a result, it is more likely to be adopted by founders with certain identity orientations. In particular, when founders possess a social mission orientation or a sustainability-driven value orientation, their sense of identity often strengthens their focus on resource conservation, responsibility, and long-term value creation, thereby increasing their inclination to practice bricolage [6]. Recent research further indicates that entrepreneurs’ level of commitment and development of soft skills can significantly promote bricolage behavior, which in turn serves as an important mechanism driving venture growth and performance improvement [31].

Furthermore, bricolage acts as a critical mediating mechanism between founder identity and sustainable entrepreneurial behavior. Sustainable entrepreneurs are usually constrained within the “green prison” [26], which necessitates greater innovation capability to simultaneously achieve the three bottom lines of economic, environmental and social goals. As a strategy for efficiently utilising resources and adapting to environmental changes, bricolage inherently aligns with the core principles of sustainable entrepreneurship [43]. According to Steffens et al. [44], high-level bricolage will result in competitive resource advantages for enterprises that pay attention to sustainable entrepreneurship. In terms of mechanism, founder identity shapes mission orientation and value commitment, which enhances both the motivation and capability for bricolage. Bricolage, in turn, facilitates the continuity of sustainable entrepreneurial activities by alleviating resource constraints, increasing innovation flexibility, and improving opportunity exploitation efficiency. In other words, founders with bricolage intentions have a higher tendency to support high-quality strategic decisions and to reshape organizational capabilities and value creation paths through diversified actions [45]. Based on the research of 334 Malaysian small and medium-sized enterprises, Ho Chea Hooi et al. [35] concluded that bricolage can obtain competitive capital for enterprises, which has a positive impact on sustainable entrepreneurship. Specifically, founders with a social/mission-driven identity tend to restructure available resources and actively engage in patchwork resource mobilization strategies—such as self-funding, resource reconfiguration, and network integration—based on altruistic or mission-aligned decision-making logic, thereby sustaining their entrepreneurial endeavors in resource-constrained environments [15,46]. In a similar vein, Estrada et al. [47], in their study of 271 Spanish students who had already established their own businesses, also found that founders are more inclined to use bricolage strategies to cope with resource challenges, enabling them to sustain and advance their entrepreneurial endeavors. Based on the prior literature and theoretical discussion, we propose the following hypotheses are:

Hypothesis 2.

Founder identity is positively related to bricolage.

Hypothesis 3.

Bricolage mediates the positive relationship between founder identity and sustainable entrepreneurship behavior.

2.4. Founder Identity, Perceived Uncertainty, Bricolage and Sustainable Entrepreneurship

Uncertainty is a core characteristic of the entrepreneurial context, exerting a profound influence on entrepreneurial behavior by shaping founders’ cognitive evaluations and decision-making. Uncertainty will fill founders with doubt and cause delays or obstructions when starting entrepreneurial action [38]. As a perception of subjective experience, uncertainty has a long tradition in psychology [48] and occupies a central position in entrepreneurship theory [49]. Even when facing similar uncertain environments and risks, entrepreneurs with different personality traits may perceive the level of environmental uncertainty differently [37]. These differentiated perceptions of uncertainty, in turn, guide entrepreneurs to adopt distinct decision-making strategies, such as causal or effectual logic [50]. Therefore, founder s’ behavioral orientation and strategic choices are shaped by both the objective level of environmental uncertainty and their subjective perception of it.

Uncertainty exhibits a dual nature in entrepreneurship: on one hand, it can give rise to new entrepreneurial opportunities; on the other, it can significantly amplify potential risks and increase decision-making complexity [51]. Chrisman et al.’s research [52] reveal that uncertainty can either prompt entrepreneurs to reframe their cognition or pose a fundamental challenge to their willingness to act by introducing the concept of ‘transformative experiences’ (TEs). According to Mcmullen [53], for founders who pursue profit maximization as the primary goal, the lower the uncertainty that the founders perceive, the easier it is for founders to predict changes in the external environment subjectively. This view suggests that such founders prefer to operate in relatively certain contexts, and their decision-making logic relies heavily on predictability. Thus, a preference for certainty itself constitutes a cognitive orientation that may significantly limit a founder’s willingness to adopt flexible, experimental strategies like bricolage when environmental uncertainty rises. Fauchart and Gruber [13] note that in an uncertain environment, founders with a Darwinian identity will focus on the quickly growing segments and are unlikely to take high-risk actions. In this condition, the relationship between founder identity and bricolage, which is considered as a high-risk strategy, will be weakened. Bricolage, by its nature, entails significant cognitive and execution risks as it involves resource recombination, uncertain returns, and a break from established paths. When founders perceive heightened environmental uncertainty, their propensity to engage in bricolage is inhibited, even if they are initially willing to do so. Consequently, perceived uncertainty weakens the effect of founder identity on bricolage behavior.

Numerous studies have found that under high perceived environmental uncertainty founders intensify searches for internal and external resources but—because of risk-aversion and loss-aversion tendencies—frequently adopt self-protective, lower-risk strategies [39,54]. Such strategic orientations often weaken the experimental trial, improvisational decision-making, and willingness to reconfigure resources required for bricolage, thereby reducing its practical application in sustainable entrepreneurship. Given that new ventures typically need to pursue sustainable entrepreneurial behaviors—simultaneously addressing economic, environmental, and social objectives—under resource-constrained conditions, high perceived uncertainty further diminishes the effectiveness of bricolage in alleviating resource constraints and supporting sustainable entrepreneurial behavior [55]. Based on the above evidence and theoretical discussion, the following hypotheses are proposed:

Hypothesis 4.

Perceived uncertainty negatively moderates the relationship between founder identity and bricolage.

Hypothesis 5.

Perceived uncertainty negatively moderates the relationship between founder identity and sustainable entrepreneurial behavior by conditioning the mediating role of entrepreneurial bricolage.

Based on social identity theory and resource bricolage theory, this paper analyses the impact of entrepreneurial identity on sustainable entrepreneurial behavior with bricolage as the intermediary variable and explores the mediating effects of the perceived uncertainty in the process from entrepreneurial identity to bricolage and sustainable entrepreneurial behavior. Theoretical models and hypotheses are illustrated in Figure 1.

3. Data Collection and Empirical Approach

Figure 2 provides a schematic illustration of the research design and data collection procedures, including scale adaptation and validation, questionnaire administration, and sample screening.

3.1. Sample

This study adopts a deductive exploratory research approach, combining theory-driven hypothesis development with quantitative analysis and a cross-sectional research design. According to the research of Fauchart and Gruber [12], companies within 5 years of their initial establishment can be called start-ups. Our research focuses on start-ups and thus includes companies that meet this definition. Questionnaires are collected in two ways: interviews with founders in small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurial training classes for founders. All questionnaires were conducted in Chinese to ensure respondents’ accurate comprehension.

In line with the Standards for the Classification of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in China jointly issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other relevant authorities, enterprises are classified as micro, small, or medium-sized [56]. The classification is based on employees’ number and revenue, with adjustments made for industry-specific characteristics. The sample of this study explicitly includes micro enterprises, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises. During questionnaire design and data collection, respondents were required to report firm age, number of employees, operating revenue, and industry sector. According to the above standards the official classification standards were applied to screen the sample, and firms that failed to meet the criteria for micro, small, or medium-sized enterprises or had an excessively long operating history were excluded. This procedure ensured that all sampled firms conformed to the institutional definition of new ventures and MSMEs in China. Regarding respondent selection, the survey targeted founders or co-founders who were directly involved in strategic decision-making and resource allocation within their ventures, ensuring that respondents possessed sufficient knowledge of the firm’s entrepreneurial orientation, resource acquisition practices, and sustainability-related activities. The inclusion of micro enterprises is theoretically justified, as micro and small firms in the early stages of development typically face more severe resource constraints and higher environmental uncertainty. Their entrepreneurial bricolage and sustainable entrepreneurship behaviors therefore provide a particularly suitable context for examining how founder identity influences sustainable entrepreneurial outcomes.

To control for common variance, two persons from the founding teams are invited to complete different parts of the questionnaire. The detailed approach is as follows: The control variables and interdependent variables of founder identity are reported by the main founder. Scales of bricolage, sustainable entrepreneurship and perceived uncertainty are reported by the secondary founder or another partner on the entrepreneurial team. If there is only one founder, these parts are completed by other management personnel designated by the founder. The scale is chosen to be a six-point scale because according to the research of Chen et al. [57], when Chinese people choose from a five-point or seven-point scale, they are more inclined to choose the middle value. A six-point scale can avoid this tendency.

In the end, 332 questionnaires were effectively collected, and 122 questionnaires that obviously did not meet the requirements were eliminated, so 210 valid questionnaires were finally obtained.

In our sample (see

Table 1. Demographic information of founders.

	N	%
Gender
Male	173	82.4
Female	37	17.6
Age
Below 25	14	6.7
26–35	55	26.2
36–45	73	34.8
Above 46	68	32.4
Level of Education
Associate	171	81.4
Bachelor	36	17.6
Master	3	1.4
Marital status
Unmarried	24	11.4
Married	168	80
Divorced	18	8.6
Years of working before entrepreneurship
Below 1	9	4.3
1–3	66	31.4
4–10	109	51.9
Above 10	26	12.4
Years of entrepreneurship
Below 1	18	8.6
1–3	50	23.8
4–8	83	39.5
Above 9	59	28.1

), the age of founders was largely 26~45 years old, and 82.4% were male. This gender distribution reflects the outcome of a random sampling strategy and is broadly consistent with the current entrepreneurial landscape in China, where male founders substantially outnumber female founders, particularly among early-stage ventures. A minority of respondents held a bachelor’s degree (19%), with an even smaller proportion holding a master’s degree (1.4%). In addition, 91.4% of participants had at least one year of entrepreneurial experience, and 94.3% of entrepreneurial teams were established with 11 persons or fewer. Some entrepreneurs had work experience before starting a business.

3.2. Measures

The measurement scales in this study were adapted from established English-language scales for use in the Chinese context. Using a translation and back-translation procedure, the items were translated by doctoral students proficient in English together with the authors of this research to ensure consistency with the original scales. The content was then further refined through in-depth discussions with three professors specializing in sustainable entrepreneurship. Prior to the formal survey, a pilot test was conducted with ten entrepreneurs from various fields of new ventures. Based on their feedback, the wording of the items was finally adjusted to improve clarity and fit with entrepreneurs’ understanding and expression habits.

Founder identity: Drawing on Fauchart and Gruber’s social identity research [13], Sieger et al. [58] developed an 18-item questionnaire to measure founder identity, including Darwinian identity, missionary identity and communitarian identity. The scale was developed and tested in 12 different countries and regions. Scholars have exhibited a high acceptance of this scale, and Zheng Chao [59] verified the measurement of founder identity in a Chinese context. Our research applies Sieger’s [58] scale and includes items such as, “I started my own company to make money and become rich”.

Bricolage. Our research applies the eight-item scale used by Senyard et al. [32]. At present, this scale is the most widely used. It contains items such as, “We are confident that by using existing resources, workable solutions will be found for new challenges”.

Sustainable entrepreneurship. Our research uses the sustainable entrepreneurship behavior scale developed by Muñoz and Dimov [24], which includes eight items, such as, “I started a business to improve human health and well-being”.

Perceived uncertainty. On the basis of Schilke [60], a five-question scale was used to measure the environmental uncertainty perceived by founders; this scale includes the following items: “production (service) patterns of our industry often change”; “customer needs in our industry are constantly changing”; “marketing patterns in our industry are constantly changing”; “environmental changes facing our industry are difficult to predict”; and “new business models are often emerging in our industry”.

Control variables. To control for potential confounding factors, six variables were incorporated: the founder’s gender, age, education level, marital status, years since establishing the business, and years of working experience before starting a business. Studies have shown that older founders are more resilient to stress than younger founders [61], Older founders may find breakthrough methods to solve challenges when facing resource dilemmas. Female founders are more susceptible to family influences and more likely to give up when facing resource challenges [62]. Higher education and entrepreneurship education help to more accurately identify and evaluate entrepreneurial opportunities and improve the survival rate of new startups by enhancing entrepreneurs’ knowledge, assessment capabilities and networks; educated entrepreneurs are also better at adopting the method of piecing together to break through the resource dilemma [63]. The number of years since starting the business is used as a control variable because the founders’ identity may change during the process of entrepreneurship [11].

To define the types and indicators of the relevant variables in this study, it is necessary to operationalize the variables. Additionally, operationalization serves to clarify the measurement scales of each variable, enabling the accurate application of appropriate methods to test the hypotheses. Specifically,

Table 2. Brief summary of variables investigated.

Investigated Variables	Concept Definition	Item Example	Source of the Scale	Measurement Method
Founder identity	The founder’s core recognition and self-definition of their role as an entrepreneur [12]. This cognition serves an orienting function, guiding the founder’s behavior and decisions and imprinting their self-concept onto key strategic dimensions of the new venture.	e.g.: I started my own company to make money and become rich.	Adapted from Sieger et al. [58], Founder Identity Scale (18 items)	All scales used the Six-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree; 6 = strongly agree)
Entrepreneurship Bricolage	How entrepreneurs creatively and flexibly mobilize limited resources under highly constrained conditions to seize existing opportunities and address operational challenges [30].	e.g.: We are confident that by using existing resources, workable solutions will be found for new challenges.	Adapted from Senyard et al. [32], Bricolage Scale (8 items)
Sustainable entrepreneurship	Sustainable entrepreneurship refers to the process in which entrepreneurs commit to harmoniously advancing economic performance, environmental integrity, and social equity as their core mission. This is achieved by proactively mitigating the negative environmental and social externalities often resulting from market failures [1,5,20].	e.g.: I started a business to improve human health and well-being.	Adapted from Muñoz & Dimov [24], Sustainable Entrepreneurial Behavior Scale (8 items)
Perceived uncertainty	Perceived uncertainty refers to a psychological state in which an individual, faced with incomplete information, ambiguous situations, or rapidly changing conditions, finds it difficult to form a clear judgment about the future state of the environment, its impact on their goals, and the effectiveness of their own ability to respond [34,50].	e.g.: production (service) patterns of our industry often change; customer needs in our industry are constantly changing.	Adapted from Schilke [60], Perception Uncertainty (5 items)

Source: Authors’ Compilation.

presents the operational definitions of each key variable in this research.

3.3. Data Analysis Methods

Our empirical research was conducted using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21.0. Specifically, SPSS 21.0 was first employed to assess scale reliability through Cronbach’s alpha coefficients and to perform exploratory factor analysis for key constructs, such as founder identity, in order to examine internal consistency and preliminary factor structure. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using AMOS 21.0 to evaluate construct validity and discriminant validity of the measurement model. Descriptive statistical analysis and correlation analysis among the key variables were then calculated using SPSS 21.0. For hypothesis testing, hierarchical regression analysis was conducted in SPSS 21.0. In addition, mediation effects and moderated mediation effects were examined using the PROCESS 2.16 macro with a bootstrap procedure (5000 resamples and 95% confidence intervals).

3.4. Reliability, Validity and Common Method Bias Test

The discriminant validity results are presented in

Table 3. Measurements of the model-fit-structural model.

Models	X2	df	X2/df	RMSEA	CFI	TLI	SRMR
4 factors: X, EB, PU, SE	>3.00	5.26	2.302	0.079	0.921	0.903	0.060
3 factors: X + EB, PU, SE	>0.90	0.95	3.050	0.099	0.868	0.847	0.064
2 factors: X + EB + PU, SE	>0.90	0.93	3.663	0.113	0.826	0.801	0.074
1 factor: X + EB + PU + SE	<0.08	0.02	4.327	0.126	0.781	0.752	0.090

, which indicates that the four-factor model fits the data better than other models. This model demonstrates acceptable fit to the data: χ²/df of the four-factor model is 2.302; the RMSEA is 0.079; and the coefficients of CFI, TLI, and SRMR are 0.921, 0.903, and 0.060, respectively. All fitting indicators are better than those of the other three models, indicating that the four-factor model has the best fitting effect. These findings also prove that the four variables have good discriminant validity. The Cronbach α coefficients of each scale are shown in

Table 4. Descriptive statistics and correlation coefficient matrix in the study.

Constructs	Cronbach’s α	M(SD)	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
1 Gender		1.18 (0.38)	1
2 Age		4.24 (1.67)	0.173 *	1
3 Edu		4.47 (1.24)	−0.043	0.074	1
4 Marri		1.98 (0.46)	0.213 **	0.454 **	0.111	1
5 Year1		3.03 (1.16)	0.192 **	0.320 **	0.056	0.197 **	1
6 Year2		3.40 (1.34)	0.050	0.612 **	0.018	0.292 **	0.336 **	1
7 X	0.922	4.52 (0.72)	−0.167 *	−0.031	−0.043	−0.245 **	−0.082	−0.108	1
8 PU	0.814	4.41 (0.86)	−0.178 **	−0.062	−0.037	−0.226 **	−0.055	0.047	0.675 **	1
9 EB	0.872	4.56 (0.78)	−0.074	−0.030	0.015	−0.214 **	−0.108	−0.166 *	0.807 **	0.629 **	1
10 SE	0.809	4.52 (0.71)	−0.171 *	0.001	0.108	−0.099	−0.143 *	−0.153 *	0.697 **	0.503 **	0.682 **	1

Note: (1) Gender refers to the gender of founders. Age refers to the age of founders. EDU refers to the level of education. Marri refers to the marital status. Year1 refers to the years of working before entrepreneurship. Year2 refers to the years of entrepreneurship. X refers to the founder identity. PU refers to the perceived uncertainty. EB refers to the entrepreneurial bricolage. SE refers to the sustainable entrepreneurship behavior. (2) * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01; (3) N = 210.

. Among the 210 valid questionnaires, the internal consistency coefficients of founder identity, bricolage, sustainable entrepreneurship and perceived uncertainty are all above 0.7, indicating good internal consistency reliability.

To assess the potential for common method bias, Harman’s single-factor test was conducted. This test examines whether a single factor accounts for more than 40% of the total variance in an exploratory factor analysis, which would indicate significant bias. The results of the exploratory factor analysis revealed that the variance explained by the largest single factor was 38.551%, which is below the 40% threshold. Therefore, this research does not have a serious common method bias.

4. Results

4.1. Descriptive Statistical Analysis and Correlation Analysis

In Table 4, we present the descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) and correlation analysis results of each variable in this study. The results indicated a significant positive correlation between founder identity and sustainable entrepreneurship behavior (r = 0.697, p < 0.01). Founder identity also significantly and positively correlated with bricolage (r = 0.807, p < 0.01). Furthermore, bricolage showed a positive association with sustainable entrepreneurship behavior (p < 0.01, r = 0.682), providing initial support for the relevant hypotheses proposed in our research.

4.2. Hypothesis Testing

Prior to hypothesis testing, multicollinearity diagnostics were conducted for all independent variables. The results indicated that none of the characteristic roots approached zero, all condition indices were below the recommended threshold of 30, and variance inflation factors (VIFs) were significantly less than 10. These results indicates that there is no multicollinearity problem in this study. Hypotheses 1 and 2 were first examined through preliminary regression analyses, followed by hierarchical regression models in which sustainable entrepreneurial behavior served as the dependent variable. The results of a direct effects test are shown in

Table 5. Hierarchical regression analysis (Outcome variable: Sustainable Entrepreneurship Behavior).

Variables	Sustainable Entrepreneurship Behavior
	M1	M2	M3	M4
Gender	−0.088	−0.057	−0.113 *	−0.080
Age	0.242 *	0.108	0.105	0.078
Level of Education	0.113	0.126 *	0.090	0.109 *
Marital status	0.020	0.089	0.073	0.095
Year1	−0.084	−0.082	−0.062	−0.071
Year2	−0.301 **	−0.155 *	−0.128	−0.109
PU	0.521 ***	0.107	0.156 *	0.045
X		0.623 ***		0.422 ***
EB			0.565 ***	0.303 ***
R2	0.346	0.538	0.515	0.567
Adjusted-R2	0.323	0.520	0.495	0.547
ΔR2	(0.346)	0.192	0.169	0.221
F-value	15.256 ***	29.257 ***	26.654 ***	29.059 ***

Note: (1) * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001; (2) N = 210.

. After controlling for gender, age, education, marital status, years of work, years of entrepreneurship, and uncertainty, Model 2 shows a significant and positive relationship between founder identity and sustainable entrepreneurship behavior (β = 0.623, p < 0.001).

Table 6. Hierarchical regression analysis (Outcome variable: Entrepreneurial Bricolage).

Variables	Entrepreneurial Bricolage
	M5	M6	M7
Gender	0.044	0.078	0.075
Age	0.242 **	0.100	0.045
Level of Education	0.041	0.054	0.057
Marital status	−0.094	−0.021	−0.020
Year1	−0.038	−0.037	−0.046
Year2	−0.307 ***	−0.151 **	−0.112
PU	0.645 ***	0.204 ***	0.693 ***
X		0.663 ***	1.057 ***
Interaction			−0.822 **
R2	0.471	0.689	0.704
Adjusted-R2	0.453	0.676	0.691
ΔR2	(0.471)	0.217	0.233
F-value	25.703 ***	55.546 ***	52.881 ***

Note: (1) ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001; (2) N = 210.

presents the results of a regression analysis with founder identity as an independent variable and bricolage as an outcome variable. As shown in Model 6, there is a positive correlation between founder identity and bricolage (β = 0.663, p < 0.001). In summary, these findings support Hypothesis 1 and 2.

To examine the mediating role of bricolage, the procedure proposed by Baron et al. [61] was used. As shown in Table 5, a significant positive relationship was found between bricolage and sustainable entrepreneurship behavior (β = 0.565, p < 0.001). To examine mediation, founder identity and bricolage were both included in the regression model. This allowed for an examination of whether bricolage partially or fully mediates the relationship. As presented in Model 4 of Table 5, when both variables are included, the effect of founder identity on sustainable entrepreneurship behavior remains significant (β = 0.422, p < 0.001). This suggests that founder identity exerts a direct influence on sustainable entrepreneurship behavior, with bricolage serving a partial mediating function.

Table 7. Testing results of mediating effect.

Effect	Value	SE	Bias Corrected (95%)
			LLCI	ULCI
Direct effect	0.4357	0.0801	0.2778	0.5936
Indirect effect	0.2510	0.0729	0.1064	0.3959
Total effect	0.6867	0.0501	0.5879	0.7855

reports that, within the founder identity path, the direct effect of founder identity on sustainable entrepreneurial behavior is 0.4357, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 0.2778 to 0.5936. Because zero is not included in this interval, this direct effect is statistically significant. The indirect effect of founder identity on sustainable entrepreneurial behavior through bricolage is 0.2510, with a 95% confidence interval of [0.1064, 0.3959], also excluding zero, indicating a significant mediation effect. These results suggest that bricolage serves as a mediator in the relationship between founder identity and sustainable entrepreneurial behavior. Hypothesis 3 is supported.

In Model 5 in Table 6, we test the effect of control variables on bricolage. In Model 6, independent variables (founder identity) and moderators (perceived uncertainty) are introduced into the regression equation. The results indicate a significant positive relationship between founder identity and bricolage (β = 0.663, p < 0.001). To examine the moderating effect, the interaction term between founder identity and perceived uncertainty was subsequently introduced into the regression equation. The regression coefficient for this interaction term on bricolage is −0.822 (p < 0.01), providing evidence that perceived uncertainty weakens the relationship between founder identity and bricolage. Further analysis using values one standard deviation above and below the mean revealed that the positive effect of founder identity on bricolage was weaker under high perceived uncertainty (β = 0.411, p < 0.001) compared to low perceived uncertainty (β = 0.545, p < 0.001). The aforementioned results are shown in Figure 3. These results suggest that higher level of perceived uncertainty reduces the positive influence of founder identity on bricolage. Hypothesis 4 is supported.

When founders’ uncertainty perceived is placed one standard deviation below the mean, bricolage mediates on the effect founder identity on sustainable entrepreneurship behavior with a value of 0.2133; when the uncertainty perceived is placed one standard deviation above the mean, the corresponding mediating effect decreases to 0.1740. Both values reach a significant level, and the difference between the two groups is also significant. Furthermore, the index of effect (SE) reaches the level of −0.0314, and the 95% confidence interval is [−0.0617, −0.0092]. As this confidence interval excludes zero, the presence of a moderated mediation effect is confirmed. In other words, as perceived uncertainty increases, the positive effect of founder identity on sustainable entrepreneurial behavior that is mediated by bricolage will be weakened. Hypothesis 5 is supported.

Table 8. Confirmed Hypotheses.

Hypothesis	Original Description	Research Findings
H1	Founder identity is positively related to sustainable entrepreneurship.	Positive Influence	√
H2	Founder identity is positively related to bricolage.	Positive Influence	√
H3	Bricolage mediates the positive relationship between founder identity and sustainable entrepreneurship behavior.	Partial Mediation	√
H4	Perceived uncertainty negatively moderates the relationship be-tween founder identity and bricolage.	Negative Moderating	√
H5	Perceived uncertainty negatively moderates the mediation effect of founder identity on sustainable entrepreneurship behavior through bricolage.	Negative Moderating	√

Note: The symbol “√” indicates that the hypothesis has received statistically significant support. For clarity, green (√) indicates the fully supported hypotheses (H1, H2, H4, H5), and orange (√) indicates the supportive hypotheses with partial mediating effects (H3).

summarizes and presents the original hypotheses proposed in this study along with their corresponding empirical test results. All hypotheses marked with a green checkmark (√) indicate that statistical analysis found significant evidence supporting the predicted direction of the relationship. Specifically, H1 and H2 confirm the significant positive direct effects of founder identity on sustainable entrepreneurial behavior and on bricolage, respectively. H3, marked with an orange checkmark (√), indicates that the mediating effect of bricolage is confirmed; however, since the direct effect also remains significant, this mediation path represents a partial mediation effect. H4 and H5, also marked with green checkmarks (√), received significant statistical support. Their effect direction aligns with the nature of the moderator, demonstrating a negative moderating effect. Thus, perceived uncertainty significantly weakens the positive effect of founder identity on bricolage (H4) and the mediating effect transmitted through bricolage (H5). In summary, all hypotheses proposed in this study passed statistical testing, and the overall research model is supported by the empirical data.

5. Discussion and Conclusions

5.1. Conclusions and Theoretical Contributions

This study makes three key contributions at the theoretical level. First, research on sustainable entrepreneurship in China is still in its early stages. Given China’s distinct characteristics in economic development, social structure, and environmental governance compared to Western developed nations, there is a pressing need for contextualized studies that address local institutional and practical realities [8]. Grounded in social identity theory, this research emphasizes the central role of the founder in shaping entrepreneurial behavior and its value orientation. Entrepreneurs are key agents in identifying and exploiting opportunities [63], and their entrepreneurial actions are essentially an external expression of their founder identity, reflecting their “self-concept and role orientation” [17]. However, current research on sustainable entrepreneurship predominantly focuses on the organizational level, examining how firms implement sustainable transitions [24], while paying relatively less attention to the internal mechanisms at the individual entrepreneur level that drive sustainable entrepreneurial behavior [64]. Therefore, by adopting a micro-level perspective on founder identity, this paper reveals the underlying logic of how entrepreneurs enact sustainable entrepreneurial behavior under resource constraints, thereby providing empirical evidence for understanding how founder identity influences sustainable entrepreneurial behavior.

Second, by introducing entrepreneurial bricolage as a mediating mechanism, this paper elucidates how founders of new ventures integrate and reconfigure limited resources in resource-scarce contexts to achieve sustainable entrepreneurial goals that balance economic, social, and environmental value. Resource constraints often hinder the product development efficiency of new ventures and weaken their competitive advantage [65]. Entrepreneurial bricolage offers an effective path for coping with resource shortages. By creatively recombining existing skills and resources, entrepreneurs can maximize resource utilization efficiency, thereby solving problems, identifying and seizing opportunities, and driving innovation in products and services [30]. This study finds that in new ventures where resource constraints are prevalent, founders’ use of resource bricolage to achieve sustainable goals not only extends the applicability of bricolage theory into the domain of sustainable entrepreneurship but also provides new evidence for its explanatory power in the entrepreneurial process.

Finally, this study incorporates perceived uncertainty into the analytical framework of sustainable entrepreneurship, further revealing the contextual boundary conditions in the formation of sustainable entrepreneurial behavior. The results indicate that perceived uncertainty plays a significant moderating role in the process through which founder identity influences sustainable entrepreneurial behavior via resource bricolage: in high-uncertainty contexts, founders’ reliance on bricolage strategies decreases, thereby weakening the positive impact of founder identity on sustainable entrepreneurial behavior. This finding is consistent with the conclusions of Dal Fior et al. [66] who emphasize the differentiation in entrepreneurs’ cognition and resource acquisition behavior in uncertain environments. Our study also offers a new theoretical perspective through which to understand how sustainable entrepreneurship evolves dynamically across multiple institutional settings, including economic growth, environmental protection, and social stability. This perspective further reveals the intricate relationship between an entrepreneur’s cognitive adaptability and their action in the face of uncertainty.

In the Chinese context, the driving mechanisms behind sustainable entrepreneurship may be a more pronounced role. China’s ongoing economic transition is often characterized by a relatively high degree of environmental uncertainty. Furthermore, the simultaneous pursuit of governmental, market, and social objectives means that entrepreneurs, while seeking economic returns, frequently face demands related to social and environmental responsibilities. Within this setting, founder identity is more likely to serve as a core reference for strategic orientation, while bricolage acts as a crucial action mechanism. Therefore, this mechanism demonstrates significant contextual embeddedness within the setting of an emerging economy like China.

5.2. Practical Implications

By offering practical insights for entrepreneurs, educational institutions, and policymakers, this study responds to the growing global emphasis on sustainable entrepreneurship. These insights aim to cultivate a larger pool of talent equipped with sustainable entrepreneurial mindsets and to foster the MSMEs’ development.

(1)

Implications for Sustainable Entrepreneurship Education and Cultivating Student Awareness

The finding that founder identity influences sustainable entrepreneurial behavior through resource bricolage has significant implications for sustainable entrepreneurship education in China. In the Chinese context, higher education institutions are not only responsible for talent development but also serve as a critical force in cultivating entrepreneurial awareness and social responsibility within the national strategies of innovation-driven development and “mass entrepreneurship and innovation.” Therefore, systematically integrating sustainable entrepreneurship education into university curricula is both practically justified and institutionally grounded. Specifically, universities can embed content on environmental management, social responsibility, and economic viability into traditional entrepreneurship courses such as business planning, marketing, and entrepreneurial finance. This approach can help students develop an early-stage entrepreneurial identity that balances economic objectives and social missions, thereby enhancing their ability to identify sustainable entrepreneurial opportunities [67]. Furthermore, education should extend beyond knowledge dissemination to include community service, field research, and social practice, strengthening students’ emotional engagement and internalization of values to increase the likelihood of translating sustainable awareness into entrepreneurial action. Additionally, universities can collaborate with enterprises and social organizations to establish practical platforms for sustainable entrepreneurship, such as incubators, innovation challenges, and university-industry partnership projects, providing students with opportunities for experimental exploration and bricolage practice in resource-constrained settings.

(2)

Implications for Entrepreneurs

Our empirical research has proved that entrepreneurial bricolage functions as a key mediator between founder identity and sustainable entrepreneurial behavior. This suggests that, in the commonly resource-constrained reality, whether entrepreneurs can effectively employ bricolage strategies is a crucial condition for translating entrepreneurial motivation into sustainable action. For new ventures, entrepreneurial bricolage offers a practical pathway to identify and integrate valuable resource combinations in highly constrained environments [68]. Entrepreneurs can continuously adjust resource allocation through trial-and-error and rapid iteration, combining localized knowledge with appropriate technological innovation to develop low-cost, sustainable product or service solutions. Simultaneously, entrepreneurs should focus on developing cognitive adaptability, maintaining sensitivity to opportunity recognition in highly uncertain environments, and transforming environmental challenges into exploitable entrepreneurial opportunities. Existing research shows that mentorship mechanisms positively enhance entrepreneurs’ ability to cope with uncertainty. Xu Zhandong et al. [69] found that effective matching between mentors and founders can provide targeted knowledge and informational support to new ventures at different development stages, thereby improving their capacities to respond to environmental changes and market expansion. Therefore, entrepreneurs should proactively engage in industry exchanges, mentorship programs, and management training to continually enhance their risk perception and psychological resilience.

(3)

Implications for Policymakers

Against the backdrop of China’s economic transformation and high-quality development, sustainable entrepreneurship is not only an option at the firm level but also an important lever for fostering new quality productive forces and optimizing regional economic structures. Compared with some developed economies, new ventures in China still face higher uncertainty in resource access, institutional support, and market stability, necessitating more targeted policy guidance and support. Firstly, the government can optimize the entrepreneurial environment by deeply integrating innovation, industrial, capital, and talent chains to provide a more stable institutional setting for sustainable entrepreneurs. Simultaneously, local governments can act as resource coordinators in uncertain environments, facilitating resource connections among enterprises, communities, and non-profit organizations to help entrepreneurs identify and leverage decentralized, fragmented entrepreneurial opportunities. Furthermore, measures such as establishing resource-sharing platforms, organizing experience-sharing events for successful entrepreneurs, and setting up micro-grant funds for MSMEs with growth potential can lower the threshold for resource acquisition and enhance the resilience of new ventures in uncertain environments. These measures not only help stimulate bricolage behavior among entrepreneurs but can also strengthen its beneficial effects on sustainable entrepreneurial behavior at the institutional level.

5.3. Limitations and Opportunities for Future Research

This study validates the mechanism through which founder identity influences sustainable entrepreneurial behavior via resource bricolage and reveals the negative moderating effect of perceived uncertainty. Although most of the assumptions are supported, there are still some shortcomings in this research that need further exploration.

First, although this study employs a widely recognized scale for measuring resource bricolage, bricolage behavior itself is highly context-dependent. With the deep integration of digital technologies into entrepreneurial practice, digital platforms, data tools, and algorithmic capabilities have become important new organizational resources. These enable small- and medium-sized enterprises to achieve cross-boundary integration, rapid iteration, and low-cost experimentation under resource-constrained conditions [70,71]. Therefore, future research could further expand the measurement dimensions of resource bricolage by incorporating behaviors related to the use of digital tools, open platforms, social media data, and other intangible resources into the indicator system. This would better reflect changes in resource acquisition and integration patterns in the digital era.

Second, future research can consider the time factor and explore the different types of resource constraints faced by new ventures at different entrepreneurial stages to further elucidate the intermediary mechanism of bricolage [55]. For example, Desa and Basu [27] noted that in social entrepreneurship characterized by a mixed mission, the application of the bricolage strategy presents a U-shaped trend with improved technological resources and upgraded social conditions for new ventures.

In addition, this study treats perceived uncertainty as a single construct, whereas in practice it often exhibits a multidimensional structure. Future research could further examine whether different types of uncertainty exert differentiated influences on the “founder identity-resource bricolage-sustainable entrepreneurial behavior” pathway. Meanwhile, recent research on entrepreneurial decision-making in uncertain situations has also shown that distinguishing among multiple dimensions of uncertainty helps reveal individuals’ behavioral mechanisms when coping with environmental changes. For instance, different types of uncertainty can exert distinct effects on opportunity exploration, risk avoidance, and action selection [39].

Finally, although the gender composition of the sample reflects the current entrepreneurial reality in China, where male entrepreneurs are more prevalent than female entrepreneurs, this imbalance nevertheless limits the ability to fully capture gender-specific mechanisms in sustainable entrepreneurship. Prior studies suggest that female entrepreneurs may place greater emphasis on social and environmental goals and may adopt different cognitive frames and strategic approaches when engaging in entrepreneurial activities [72]. Future research could therefore deliberately focus on female entrepreneurs and whether the relationships among founder identity, entrepreneurial bricolage, and sustainable entrepreneurship differ across gender groups.