Search Results (28)

In an increasingly complex global context, higher education faces the challenge of preparing professionals who are innovative, committed, and socially responsible. Entrepreneurial competence is particularly prominent among the key skills required to meet this goal, given its significant personal and social impact. This study examines how final-year undergraduate students at the University of Deusto (Spain) perceive the importance of entrepreneurial competence—defined as a set of transversal skills, knowledge, and attitudes enabling initiative and opportunity recognition across various contexts—rather than entrepreneurial competence strictly understood as business creation. The sample included 267 students from different faculties. Descriptive, comparative, and ordinal logistic regression analyses (SPSS) were used. The results show that, while entrepreneurial competence was given significant importance, it was ranked comparatively low relative to other competencies. Significant differences by gender were observed, with women rating entrepreneurial competence more highly than men. The faculty variable showed slight disparities, and there were no relevant differences between campuses. These findings highlight the need to reinforce the integration of entrepreneurial competence into educational curricula on a transversal basis, adapting the teaching of this competence to the sociocultural context of students, as well as the need to increase students’ awareness of the importance of entrepreneurial competence. It is proposed that further research should focus on the relationships between intrapreneurship, gender, and academic disciplines, in order to enrich entrepreneurial competence education and its impact on the employability and social commitment of students. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally disrupted assumptions about entrepreneurship, career planning, and professional development. This study explored how the pandemic influenced the entrepreneurial intentions of undergraduate business students in the United States. Using a qualitative methodology based on in-depth interviews with 31 students at a public Midwestern university, the research interpreted student narratives through the lenses of effectuation theory, resilience theory, and the theory of planned behavior. Findings revealed that many participants reframed entrepreneurship as a strategy for navigating economic uncertainty and enhancing personal agency. Students reported valuing adaptability, resourcefulness, and opportunity recognition, often experimenting with side hustles during the pandemic as a means of resilience. Their entrepreneurial thinking shifted from purely economic motivations toward aspirations for flexibility, self-fulfillment, and purposeful work. The study highlights the formative role of crisis contexts in shaping entrepreneurial identity among emerging professionals. It suggests that entrepreneurship education should move beyond traditional models, fostering skills for navigating complexity and building resilience. In doing so, the findings contribute to broader conversations about youth entrepreneurship, post-pandemic career development, and the evolving demands of the labor market in times of disruption. Full article

In academia, innovation intentions among students are a highly sought-after outcome due to their overarching positive impacts on performance and well-being, especially in the higher education context. This research addresses entrepreneurial education and its influence on innovation intentions across several universities in Beirut, Lebanon. The research also examines the indirect effects of opportunity recognition and psychological capital as mediators and fear of failure as a moderator. Through the lens of the theory of planned behavior, the stimulus-organism-response model, and the entrepreneurial event model, a survey was designed. A total of 263 samples were collected from the students of three universities in Beirut where the academic setting was English, and international students were present. Using Partial Least Squares—Structural Equation Modeling, the data was analyzed, and the hypotheses were supported. Results suggest that the learning environment in universities is a major determinant of innovative outcomes for students. However, implementation of entrepreneurial education alone cannot be as effective as it needs to be; it must be complemented by initiatives that enhance perceptions and internal capabilities of students to achieve innovation in their behaviors. This highlights the vitality of psychological capital and fear of failure in this context. Full article

Entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in driving innovation, productivity, and economic growth, with universities emerging as key actors within entrepreneurial ecosystems. This study seeks to expand the understanding on the role of Latin American universities on entrepreneurial ecosystems by examining the case of alumni from Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN). Employing a mixed-methods approach, this research explores individual, organizational, and institutional dynamics within the Ecuadorian entrepreneurial ecosystem. Results indicate that universities like EPN nurture professional and technical capabilities but face institutional obstacles that restrict their capacity to foster knowledge-based, high-growth ventures. This study highlights several institutional-level barriers, including market dominance, limited access to formal financing, corruption, and complex regulations, that limit innovation. Thus, universities in the region play an important role in preparing potential entrepreneurs, yet their impact is ultimately restricted by contextual factors. To overcome these challenges, universities can strengthen their support by integrating entrepreneurship education, networking opportunities, early-stage venture experiences, and exposure to role models or success stories. Particularly in contexts like Ecuador, fostering self-efficacy, resilience, and opportunity recognition can boost entrepreneurial behavior. In addition, enhancing university–industry collaboration, encouraging business transparency, improving funding accessibility, and supporting knowledge-intensive businesses are essential steps to harness the full potential of universities in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Full article

To date, deep-tech entrepreneurship and sustainable entrepreneurship are both attracting the interest of researchers. Indeed, deep-tech is being employed to address future sustainable challenges in the present. Nevertheless, the process of deep-tech startups is filled with distinct obstacles. These types of startups may necessitate a more targeted sustainable entrepreneurial process and specialised knowledge compared to conventional technological startups or general sustainable entrepreneurial processes. Currently, most publications discuss either a sustainable entrepreneurial process or conventional technical startups. Therefore, this article aims to investigate the process of sustainable entrepreneurs as they transition from startup ventures to scaleup enterprises within the context of the deep-tech industry. Based on previous sustainable entrepreneurial processes, a multiple case study was conducted within six deep-tech startups, using a narrative progress research strategy, to find the sustainable process pattern. A conceptual model of a sustainable entrepreneurial process in deep-tech industry is established, including five phases with six activities: (i) Sustainable idea definition; (ii) Sustainable opportunity recognition and evaluation; (iii) Venture launch; (iv.i) Sustainable products/services development; (iv.ii) New sustainable enterprise financing; and (v) Sustainable enterprise scaleup. This process enables sustainable deep-tech entrepreneurs, policymakers, and financial investors to necessarily have an overview of the key entrepreneurial stages to navigate from the startup to the scaleup process. Full article

The transformation toward a sustainable economy is considered one of the most effective measures to accelerate the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Sustainable entrepreneurs contribute to this transformation by identifying and exploiting business opportunities based on sustainability challenges such as biodiversity loss. Recognizing a business opportunity to achieve sustainable development characterizes the beginning of the sustainable entrepreneurial process. Sustainable entrepreneurship education (SEE) aims to foster skills, knowledge, and attitudes to accomplish tasks within this complex process. Role models are a common pedagogical instrument in educational settings, such as SEE at higher education institutions, where sustainable entrepreneurs are integrated into the curriculum to enhance learning outcomes. Given the limited research on SEE for secondary education, an exploratory study is conducted to investigate the effects of sustainable entrepreneurial role models on opportunity recognition for sustainable development. A total of 136 secondary school students participated in a program that guided them through the first steps of the sustainable entrepreneurial process. A total of 68 students were non-randomly assigned to sustainable entrepreneurial role models, providing support and feedback. During the program, groups of 3–5 students generated opportunity ideas (n = 35) for sustainable development. The quality of the opportunity ideas is explored by a qualitative content analysis. The obtained data is further analyzed for statistical group differences. The findings indicate the potential positive effects of sustainable entrepreneurial role models on idea generation for sustainable development. The results can advise educators and researchers on the design and investigation of SEE for secondary education. Full article

The entrepreneurship literature shows inconsistent results in outcome effectiveness, such as entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE), entrepreneurial intention (EI), and entrepreneurial behavior. This could be due to the sole focus on the motivational aspects of behavioral change. Action planning, a volitional intervention used to modify health behavior, could resolve the inconsistent results mentioned above. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the direct impacts of action planning intervention (API) following entrepreneurship education (EE) on ESE, EI, and opportunity recognition and to examine the behavioral change process from motivational and volitional perspectives. In this randomized controlled trial (RCT), we considered action planning to enhance entrepreneurial behavior after EE. The sample included 83 participants from a university in Myanmar. We randomly assigned the students to the API and control groups. We collected data on ESE and EI before and after training. We used objective measures for opportunity recognition through an opportunity evaluation framework. Serial mediation analysis revealed that the volitional impact on opportunity recognition was positively significant. From a motivational standpoint, ESE improved significantly, but we found no significant impact on EI; ESE and EI were serial mediators, with no specific mediation solely by ESE or EI. The findings contribute to the EE literature by presenting a brief and cost-effective API for EE. Full article

With the advent of the era of big data, the application of big data analytics in entrepreneurial activities has become increasingly prevalent. However, research on the relationship between big data analytic capabilities and entrepreneurial activities is still in its infancy, and the mechanism by which the two interact remains unclear. Drawing on resource-based theory and entrepreneurial process theory, this research examines the impact mechanism of big data analytic capabilities on the growth performance of start-up enterprises and explores the mediating role of entrepreneurial opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial opportunity exploitation. Empirical analysis reveals that big data analytic capabilities have a significant positive impact on the growth performance of start-up enterprises; entrepreneurial opportunity exploitation plays a mediating role in the relationship between big data analytic capabilities and the growth performance of start-up enterprises, but entrepreneurial opportunity recognition does not show a significant mediating effect between the two; and entrepreneurial opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial opportunity exploitation play a chain-mediated role in the relationship between big data analytic capabilities and the growth performance of start-up enterprises. These research findings enrich the study of digital entrepreneurship and provide valuable references for the entrepreneurial practice of start-up enterprises. Full article

Micro-, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) play a crucial role in the economic growth of emerging markets. This study examines the effect of entrepreneurial leadership (EL) on the entrepreneurial success (ES) of MSMEs in Malaysia through the mediating effect of entrepreneurial opportunity recognition (EOR) and innovation capability (IC). To examine the proposed mediation model, we utilized a structured questionnaire to collect data for this quantitative research. Partial least square-structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesis on a sample of 401 micro-business owners/managers in Malaysia. The findings reveal that an EL has a significant positive effect on ES but is conditional on the mediating role of EOR and IC. However, the results show that EOR and IC partially mediate the link between EL and ES. Additionally, EOR and IC serially mediated the relationship between EL and ES. This research has valuable contributions to MSMEs by explaining EL, EOR, and IC’s critical role in gaining competitive advantage and achieving success. This research develops a theory-based mediation model to demonstrate how the EL and ES of MSMEs are related. Further, the model in this study adds to the body of knowledge by examining whether or not serial mediation occurs through EOR and IC. Hence, this research sheds new light on the relationship between EL and ES. Full article

The use of digital technology has enabled consumers to play an essential role in the success of startups. Priem et al. proposed a demand-value creation-performance framework, which argues that firms can create value for the consumer by exploring consumer demand, and this type of value-creation activity can help firms gain better performance. However, empirical evidence supporting this framework remains scarce. To address this challenge, this study empirically tests Priem et al.’s framework in the context of entrepreneurship. A unique on-site survey dataset of 323 digital startups in the digital environment was employed to explore how consumer demand drives startups to value creation activities and gain better performance. The study results show that consumer demands, in terms of demand heterogeneity, demand uncertainty, and demand interactivity, are positively related to value creation, as reflected by opportunity recognition and consumer innovation. Furthermore, both opportunity recognition and consumer innovation are positively related to the performance of startups. These findings support the demand-side perspective by providing empirical evidence for its key arguments from an entrepreneurial view and extend the demand-side perspective by contextualizing it in the increasingly digital environment. Full article

The focus of this study is to investigate the major factors influencing entrepreneurial intent and behavior, by addressing the role of entrepreneurial education, business opportunity recognition, and the need for achievement. The research data were collected online using a self-administered questionnaire among 148 Moroccan women having completed an entrepreneurship training program. The data analysis using a PLS-SEM provided evidence of the positive impact of entrepreneurial education on entrepreneurial self-efficacy and PBC. Likewise, the findings supported the direct impact of subjective norms and entrepreneurial self-efficacy on entrepreneurial attitude. Furthermore, entrepreneurial attitude, business opportunity recognition, and the need for achievement were identified as predictors of entrepreneurial intent, leading to enhanced entrepreneurial behavior. These results highlight a number of useful practical recommendations for public policy-makers on how to stimulate and encourage entrepreneurship initiatives among women. Full article

The role of entrepreneurship has transformed to include issues beyond economic growth. This has twisted attention toward the drivers of entrepreneurial intentions across entrepreneurship types, particularly in sustainable entrepreneurship. Sustainable entrepreneurship is essential and a protagonist tool in protecting the environment, economy and society. This ensures employment opportunities, solves environmental problems and facilitates social and economic development. Keeping into consideration, the present study attempts to investigate sustainable entrepreneurial intention through Attitudes toward Sustainability (ATS), Perceived Desirability (PED), Perceived Feasibility (PEF) and Opportunity Recognition (OR) among Saudi Arabia’s university students. We employed the quantitative approach and used a survey questionnaire to obtain the responses from the respondents. We targeted the students of different public sector universities in Saudi Arabia using a random sampling technique. Finally, we utilized 292 valid samples to infer the results. Utilizing the Structural Equation Model (SEM) through analysis of moment structures (AMOS), we found a positive and significant effect of Attitudes towards Sustainability (ATS), Perceived Desirability (PED) and Perceived Feasibility (PEF) on Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intentions (SEI) and Opportunity Recognition (OR). This study provides valuable insights into the entrepreneurship domain and offers guidelines for policymakers and planners in shaping the policies that promote entrepreneurial sustainability and employment in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the OR factor also significantly and positively affects SEI. Finally, the study’s findings would contribute to the literature review by adding another empirical confirmation from Saudi Arabian students’ viewpoint. Full article

Sustainable entrepreneurial opportunity recognition and action are strongly linked to a person’s desire to succeed. Therefore, entrepreneurial intentions are increasingly being studied from a sustainable development viewpoint. By integrating the theory of human values into the theory of planned behavior, the goal of this study was to investigate how values interact with sustainable entrepreneurial intentions. In all, 465 graduate students from Punjab, Pakistan, were interviewed for this study. The findings reveal that students’ entrepreneurial intentions are supported by views toward sustainable entrepreneurship, societal norms, and perceived behavioral control. According to structural equation modeling, self-transcendence and self-enhancement are the personal values that directly or indirectly interact with sustainable entrepreneurial intentions, which is consistent with the findings of the present study. Accordingly, the TPB model may help identify the relationship between sustainable entrepreneurship values and aims and the role of personal values in terms of understanding sustainable entrepreneurial intentions. As a practical implication, according to this study, it is essential to emphasize the importance of personal values in the education of potential entrepreneurs to increase their sustainable entrepreneurial intentions. Full article

The consistent finding of knowledge management practices with women’s entrepreneurial performance is one of the gaps intended to fill in this paper. Several previous research studies on knowledge management practices (KMPs) with sustainable women’s entrepreneurial performance (SWEP) have been drawing the attention of many researchers, and this study includes the mediating role of opportunity recognition (OR) and moderating role of family interference (FI). Smart-PLS software was used to test the proposed hypotheses with gathered data of 450 women-entrepreneur respondents. The findings show a positive and significant impact of KMPs on women’s entrepreneurship and partial mediation of opportunity recognition between sustainable women’s entrepreneurial performance and KMPs. Moreover, family interference strengthens the relationship between opportunity recognition and women’s entrepreneurial performance. The study results proposed that in Ivory Coast, entrepreneurial women face several challenges in running their businesses. Therefore, it is suggested that a combined effort of women entrepreneurs, family interference, society, market opportunities, and researchers can overcome their challenges. Discussion is based on the study findings, and suggestions have been made for researchers and practitioners. Full article

This research aimed to examine the role of knowledge management practices in sustainable entrepreneurship performance. This study also investigated the relationships between six concepts: knowledge sharing behavior, innovative capacity, absorptive capacity, dynamic capability, opportunity recognition, and sustainable entrepreneurship. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection from 486 entrepreneurs randomly selected from textile-based SMEs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The findings show that knowledge management practices positively and significantly impact sustainable entrepreneurship performance and SMEs’ dynamic capabilities. Moreover, opportunity recognition strengthens the relationship between SMEs’ dynamic capabilities and sustainable entrepreneurship performance. This study offers valuable insights and directions for researchers and practitioners interested in the field of entrepreneurship. Full article