Navigating the unknown: Psychological drivers of sustainable entrepreneurial intentions

This study investigates how psychological factors, Need for Achievement (NFA), Risk Taking Propensity (RTP), and Tolerance of Ambiguity (TA), shape Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intentions (SEI) among university students.

Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and the Hayes Process macro to test hypotheses, assess mediation, and examine moderation.

The results show that both NFA and RTP are strong predictors of SEI, and that NFA partially mediates the relationship between RTP and SEI and fully mediates the relationship between TA and SEI. Also, gender moderates the NFA-SEI link.

The results underscore the need for tailored educational and policy initiatives that address the psychological factors influencing entrepreneurship while accounting for gender disparities.

This study is the first to examine the mediating role of NFA in the RTP-SEI and TA-SEI relationships. It also contributes by exploring gender as a moderator between personality traits and SEI, a dimension that remains under-researched in the context of SEI.