Search Results (93)

Building on multiple theoretical views, this paper aimed to investigate how traits and their specific mechanisms transfer into realized entrepreneurial behaviors. Thus, this paper seeks to address various apparent gaps through an integrative theoretical framework that examines the serial mediation between Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation, Entrepreneurial Alertness, and Entrepreneurial Intentions, and their influence on Entrepreneurial Behavior. Based on a quantitative method with a survey strategy, this paper applied partial least squares-based structural equation modeling on a sample of 405 aspiring entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia. The paper’s findings confirmed the positive and significant relationships between Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation and Entrepreneurial Alertness, Entrepreneurial Alertness and Entrepreneurial Intentions, and Entrepreneurial Intentions and Entrepreneurial Behavior. In addition, the results supported three indirect hypotheses, corroborating that Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation could affect Entrepreneurial Behavior indirectly through Entrepreneurial Alertness and Entrepreneurial Intentions. Likewise, the results supported the serial mediation hypothesis, in which Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation influenced Entrepreneurial Behavior through a sequential process, with both Entrepreneurial Alertness and Entrepreneurial Intentions as mediators. This paper offers theoretical and practical implications for the literature and practice of entrepreneurship. The study contributes to our understanding of the traits and cognitions that can motivate individuals to start a business. In addition, this study responded to many previous calls to examine not only the direct effects of EI antecedents but also the mediating roles of key factors. Full article

In developing economies, women entrepreneurs play a vital role in advancing inclusive growth, yet their financial and digital capabilities often remain constrained by gendered barriers. This study investigates how financial literacy evolves into a gender-sensitive capability that drives digital marketing adoption and entrepreneurial sustainability among women-led SMEs in Indonesia. Guided by the Theory of Reasoned Action, the Technology Acceptance Model, the Knowledge-Based View, and Feminist Entrepreneurship Theory, this study employs a qualitative design involving 75 participants—45 women entrepreneurs and 30 supporting stakeholders. Using an iterative, spiral-oriented analytical approach, thematic insights were integrated with theoretical interpretation to uncover patterns of financial–digital capability development. Findings reveal that women’s financial literacy operates as both a cognitive and behavioral capability, fostering digital trust, informed decision-making, and business resilience. The study introduces the Gendered Financial Literacy Capability Model (G-FLCM), a novel inductively constructed framework that explicates how financial cognition is transformed into digital engagement and sustainable entrepreneurship. By articulating this gendered capability mechanism—absent from prior financial capability or feminist digital entrepreneurship models—the G-FLCM advances theoretical integration across behavioral, technological, and feminist perspectives while offering practical pathways for strengthening inclusive financial–digital ecosystems in emerging economies. Full article

This paper advances a unified theoretical framework that synthesises Shane and Eckhardt’s individual–opportunity nexus, Ramoglou and Tsang’s opportunities-as-propensities perspective, and Davidsson’s tripartite model of new venture ideas, external enablers, and opportunity confidence. Building on these foundations, the paper develops an entrepreneurial entanglement model that explains how opportunities emerge as probabilistic propensities within dynamic configurations of agents, artefacts, distributed agencies, and spatiotemporal conditions. The model clarifies how material artefacts, socio-cognitive processes, and environmental shifts jointly shape the emergence, visibility, and realisation of entrepreneurial possibilities. By situating opportunity formation within an entangled field—rather than within isolated acts of discovery or creation—the framework deepens understanding of how entrepreneurial actions give rise to potentialities and how these potentialities become actualised under conditions of uncertainty. The analysis contributes to both theory and practice by offering a relational, mechanism-based account of how entrepreneurial behaviour and environmental factors intersect to structure the formation and realisation of opportunities. Full article

This paper explores interdisciplinary, human-centered entrepreneurship education that builds entrepreneurial self-efficacy and transformative learning among students. Grounded in Bandura’s social cognitive theory and Mezirow’s transformative learning theory, our study examines a co-curricular entrepreneurship pedagogy embedded within a National Science Foundation project. Using qualitative data from reflections, interviews, and observations, the study identifies stakeholder engagement, community-based design, and self-reflection as activities that support sustainable perspective shifts. The findings show that interdisciplinary, real-world challenges function as disorienting dilemmas that promote empathy and critical thinking. The study offers a replicable instructional model that integrates coursework, applied projects, practice-based engagement, and institutional support. This model demonstrates that entrepreneurship education can be designed to support both “can do” and “will become” student habits of the mind. Full article

Material deprivation, defined as the inability to afford essential goods and services, is a key determinant of psychological well-being across Europe. While prior research links deprivation to lower well-being and diminished institutional trust, few or no studies to date have examined how trust itself might operate as a mechanism connecting these phenomena in an entrepreneurial context. The current study investigates whether institutional trust mediates the relationship between material deprivation and mental well-being among self-employed individuals across Europe. Drawing on data from the 2016 European Quality of Life Survey (N = 2373), the analysis focuses on the self-employed, a group particularly vulnerable to material insecurity due to limited access to welfare protections. Mental well-being is measured through positive emotions, energy levels, restfulness, and a sense of fulfilment, while institutional trust refers to confidence in government, parliament, the legal system, and local authorities. The results of structural equation modelling show that material deprivation is negatively associated with both institutional trust and mental well-being and that trust partially mediates this link. The findings suggest that when self-employed individuals face material deprivation, reduced trust in public institutions partly explains their lower well-being. This study contributes to entrepreneurial well-being research by highlighting the role of institutional trust as a cognitive belief-based mechanism through which economic insecurity affects mental well-being. Full article

Entrepreneurship is increasingly important for economic and societal innovation, yet the individual characteristics that encourage entrepreneurial entry remain insufficiently understood. This study examined whether character strengths, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and highly sensitive person (HSP) traits influence entrepreneurial entry. Two independent web-based surveys were conducted, with ADHD assessed using a psychological scale in Study 1 and self-reported medical diagnosis in Study 2. The Character Strengths Test24 showed a revised factor structure, and an extracted factor (Drive) positively influenced entrepreneurial entry in both samples. ADHD (Hyperactivity/Impulsivity) consistently facilitated entrepreneurial entry, while HSP (Ease of Excitation) inhibited it. The robust positive contribution of ADHD traits across both symptomatic and clinically diagnosed individuals suggests that entrepreneurial potential is not limited by clinical labels and may also be found among individuals who are often marginalized, misunderstood, or discouraged in traditional career pathways. These findings highlight the importance of educational and support systems that not only develop character strengths linked to entrepreneurial drive but also recognize, accommodate, and strategically leverage diverse neuropsychological traits. Empowering individuals with varied cognitive profiles may expand pathways to innovation and contribute to a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. Full article

Based on Social Cognitive Theory and Positive Psychology, this study addresses a research gap by examining internet entrepreneurial self-efficacy as a mediating mechanism between psychological capital and internet entrepreneurial intention in the digital context—a relationship rarely explored among engineering students in Eastern European economies. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional design, data were collected from 900 undergraduates enrolled in three Romanian technical universities who completed a set of specific instruments. Entrepreneurial intention was measured with the Individual Entrepreneurial Intent Scale adapted for online entrepreneurship; entrepreneurial self-efficacy in the online context was assessed using the Internet Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy Scale; and psychological capital was measured with the Psychological Capital Questionnaire adapted for the student environment. The mediation analysis conducted through PROCESS-macro showed that psychological capital exerts a significant indirect effect on internet entrepreneurial intention via internet entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Psychological capital exerted a strong effect on internet entrepreneurial self-efficacy (β = 0.538), which in turn influenced the intention to start an online business (β = 0.213), while the direct effect on internet entrepreneurial intention remained relatively reduced (β = 0.037). The results indicate that positive psychological resources foster entrepreneurial intention by strengthening confidence specific to the digital environment. This study advances Social Cognitive Theory by demonstrating that internet entrepreneurial self-efficacy operates as the proximal cognitive pathway through which psychological capital is translated into entrepreneurial intention in online settings, clarifying how general psychological resources acquire domain-specific relevance in digital entrepreneurship. Full article

Context: Digital entrepreneurship has attracted the attention of governments, investors, and researchers, who are directing their efforts and resources toward investigating its causes. Several studies have focused on the positive factors contributing to entrepreneurial intentions, with Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) being the most cited. This paper examines the relationship among TPB, emotions and social capital in the digital context. Objective: To evaluate the impact of social capital and anticipated emotions (positive and negative) on the digital entrepreneurial intentions of students from Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Methodology: The research proposed seven hypotheses, including two new ones, all of which are embedded in the digital context. Data were collected using a questionnaire administered to undergraduate students in Business Administration, Engineering, and Information Technology. A total of 1110 valid responses were obtained. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Results: Considering the TPB factors, Attitude (AT) and Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC) significantly impact Digital Entrepreneurial Intentions (DEI), while Subjective Norms (SN) show a statistically significant but weak effect (f² < 0.02). Social Capital (SC) indirectly influences DEI by shaping attitudes. Anticipated Positive Emotions (APE) and Anticipated Negative Emotions (ANE) are statistically significant; however, their practical moderating effects are weak. Conclusions: Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC) emerges as the strongest predictor of Digital Entrepreneurial Intention (DEI), while Subjective Norms (SN) and emotional factors (APE and ANE), though statistically significant, exhibit limited practical influence. Practical implications: Understanding how anticipated emotions interact with SC in shaping DEI can help educators and policymakers develop more effective strategies to support aspiring entrepreneurs. Originality: This study highlights the relationships among TPB factors, SC, APE, and ANE, underscoring the complex role of emotions in the digital entrepreneurial process. This research enriches the literature by incorporating emotional and social dimensions into the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), demonstrating that digitalisation reshapes, rather than displaces, the cognitive foundation of entrepreneurial action. Full article

Despite growing scholarly interest in leadership within entrepreneurial settings, little is known about how relational leadership operates in informal, resource-constrained ecosystems. This study examines how entrepreneurial leadership fosters positive relational dynamics and collaborative resilience within Ecuador’s highly informal entrepreneurial ecosystem. Drawing on entrepreneurial cognition and relational leadership theories, it investigates how entrepreneurs act as informal leaders who cultivate trust, empathy, and mutual support in the absence of formal institutional structures. Using an original mixed-method lexical–clustering design, data were collected from 880 micro and small entrepreneurs in Quito, who categorized 75 entrepreneurial attributes using a forced-choice instrument. Two dominant narratives emerged: collaborative resilience (65%), defined by empathy, adaptability, and social cohesion, and structural vulnerability (35%), marked by bureaucracy, fear, and emotional strain. Gender differences revealed that women emphasize relational stress and communal coping, while men focus on structural barriers and operational constraints. The findings extend leadership research by demonstrating how positive relational processes enable entrepreneurs to transform adversity into collective strength. The study advances relational leadership theory by revealing its cognitive and emotional foundations in nontraditional contexts. It offers policy insights for designing inclusive, trust-based ecosystems that promote psychological safety, collaboration, and sustainable entrepreneurship in emerging economies. Full article

Background: In China, a paradox has emerged: while the digital access gap narrows, a pronounced digital gradient—a sequential decline in outcomes from urban to county to township students—persists in innovation and entrepreneurship. This study investigates the hidden, cognitive mechanisms behind this enduring gradient inequality. Methods: Analyzing a national survey of 31,779 students, we employed statistical models designed to trace sequential pathways and account for institutional influences. Results: We found a clear urban > county > township gradient in students’ digital literacy, information perception, and innovation capabilities. The disparity is primarily driven by a cognitive mediation chain: rural students’ lower digital literacy inhibits their ability to perceive and evaluate information effectively, which in turn suppresses their innovation and entrepreneurial potential. This “digital literacy → information perception” pathway explains over 80% of the gap in entrepreneurial intention and one-third of the gap in innovation capacity. Crucially, elite “Double First-Class” universities mitigate this gradient; their robust offline support systems compensate for deficits in students’ digital literacy, reducing its necessity for entrepreneurial success. Conclusions: The contemporary digital divide is fundamentally a cognitive gradient. Moving forward, policy must look beyond infrastructure to foster a cognitive capacity to transform digital access into innovation capability, rather than merely expanding digital access. Our findings affirm that universities can act as powerful institutional compensators. A dual strategy that combines cognitive empowerment with targeted institutional support is essential to bridge the digital gradient and close the innovation gap across urban, county, and township student populations. Full article

Gender equality and sustainability remain critical global agendas emphasized in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015. Women entrepreneurs in emerging economies, despite facing structural constraints, hold strategic potential to advance inclusive and sustainable growth. Building on this context, the present study develops and empirically tests an integrative framework that explains how gendered entrepreneurial cognition (GEC) influences sustainable performance (SP) through the mediating roles of women’s intellectual capital (WIC) and women’s social capital (WSC). A sequential explanatory mixed-method design was employed, combining survey data from 653 women entrepreneurs with in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Quantitative results demonstrate that GEC significantly enhances WIC and WSC, which in turn strengthen SP, while the direct effect of GEC on SP is weaker. Qualitative insights reinforce these findings by revealing how women mobilize adaptive knowledge, experiential learning, and trust-based networks to achieve economic, social, and environmental objectives. Theoretically, this study advances an innovative multitheoretical integration of the resource-based view, knowledge-based view, and social capital theory, positioning GEC as a gendered cognitive microfoundation for the creation of intangible resources. Practically, the findings highlight that strengthening women’s entrepreneurial capital—represented by the synergy of WIC and WSC—is crucial for enhancing resilience, competitiveness, and sustainability among women-led SMEs in emerging economies. Overall, this study contributes novel evidence from Indonesia by demonstrating that women’s cognition, knowledge, and social networks operate as interconnected pathways toward sustainable entrepreneurial performance. Full article

This study examines the transition from digital entrepreneurial alertness to digital startup intent in connection with perceived desirability, feasibility, and intentions. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the entrepreneurial event/potential model (EPM) form the foundation for a mediation model, which is examined by structural equation modeling (SEM) using AMOS on data gathered from 571 Saudi youth engaged in digital entrepreneurship. The results show that digital entrepreneurial alertness has a strong predictive power in relation to intent to start digital ventures, and that this is partly mediated by perceived desirability and feasibility. Intentions, however, fully mediate the relationship between alertness, desirability, feasibility, and actual digital entrepreneurial behavior. This study adds to digital entrepreneurship scholarship by de-mystifying the thought processes bridging opportunity recognition and action, particularly in emerging economies. This study validates the EPM framework and confirms its applicability to include digital entrepreneurial alertness (DEA) as a key antecedent of digital entrepreneurial intentions (DEI) and other factors. This study also highlights the theoretical relevance of the EPM by illustrating its utility in understanding youth decisions to pursue digital entrepreneurship, particularly in transitional countries such as Saudi Arabia. Policymakers and educators in Saudi Arabia should promote attention and amplify desirability/feasibility perceptions to stimulate youth engagement in digital ventures. This work highlights intentions as the determinative gateway between entrepreneurial cognition and concrete digital startup success. Full article

The formation of entrepreneurial intentions and their translation into behaviors still remains unclear. This study contributes to the field by examining socio-cognitive concepts and dysfunctional career beliefs that have not been employed in previous studies. Emotional states are one primary source of self-efficacy, an important driver of career decisions. In turn, emotional states interact with dysfunctional beliefs when making entrepreneurial career decisions. Using a sample of 323 participants, the analysis revealed two key findings. First, positive emotions significantly predict both entrepreneurial intentions and subsequent behaviors. Second, “criticality of the decision”, a dysfunctional career belief, was found to be a key moderator that (a) mitigates the negative effects of adverse emotions on entrepreneurial intentions and (b) weakens the relationship between intentions and actual entrepreneurial actions. These findings are novel and deepen our understanding of the emotional and cognitive processes underlying entrepreneurial career choices. They also provide theoretical insights on the connection between entrepreneurship and career theory and have practical implications for educators and career counselors who aim to support the next generation of aspiring entrepreneurs systematically and coherently. Full article

This paper examines how artificial intelligence (AI) can act as a co-creation partner to foster social equity leading to social sustainability by addressing persistent barriers faced by women and minority entrepreneurs. We develop a theoretical framework integrating social capital theory and the resource-based view to analyze how AI can systematically address resource gaps across structural, relational, and cognitive dimensions while serving as a strategic capability that enables competitive advantage. Modern AI systems including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity represent practical technologies already operational for everyday entrepreneurs through accessible platforms, low-cost subscriptions, and no-code tools enabling workflow automation with minimal technical skill. While prior work has explored how social capital creates competitive advantages, little research explains how AI technologies specifically enhance both social capital development and resource-based competitive advantage simultaneously for ventures of underrepresented entrepreneurs. This study explicitly identifies the entrepreneurial venture as the unit of analysis and articulates five testable propositions on AI’s influence across structural, relational, and cognitive capital, clarifying mechanisms by which AI functions as a technological mediator that democratizes access to both network resources and strategic capabilities for underrepresented founders. Using AI-generated hypotheticals from Los Angeles demonstrating replicable processes with current technologies like retrieval-augmented generation and cloud AI workspaces, we show that AI-enhanced social capital can reduce venture development disparities while generating distinctive advantages for strategically adopting entrepreneurs. The framework requires empirical validation through longitudinal studies and acknowledges dependencies on infrastructure, ecosystem support, and cultural context, ultimately reconceptualizing AI as an active partner, illustrating that equity and competitive excellence are complementary and achievable through deliberate AI-enabled social capital development. Full article

Digital Entrepreneurial Capability (DEC) is the integrated and learnable capacity that equips individuals, or founding teams, to sense, evaluate, and exploit entrepreneurial opportunities within digitally intermediated, platform-centric markets. The construct synthesises four interlocking elements. First, it requires technical dexterity: mastery of data engineering, AI-driven analytics, low-code development, cloud orchestration, and cybersecurity safeguards. Second, it draws on accumulated human capital—formal education, sector experience, and tacit managerial know-how that ground vision in operational reality. Third, DEC hinges on an opportunity-seeking mindset characterised by cognitive alertness, creative problem framing, a high need for achievement, and autonomous motivation. Finally, it depends on calculated risk tolerance, encompassing the ability to price and mitigate economic, technical, algorithmic, and competitive uncertainties endemic to platform economies. When these pillars operate synergistically, entrepreneurs translate digital affordances into scalable, resilient business models; when one pillar is weak, capability bottlenecks arise and ventures falter. Because each pillar can be intentionally developed through education, deliberate practice, and ecosystem support, DEC serves as a practical roadmap for stakeholders. It now informs scholarship across entrepreneurship, information systems, innovation management, and public-policy disciplines, and guides interventions ranging from curriculum design and accelerator programming to due-diligence heuristics and national digital literacy initiatives. Full article