New Look Of Predicting Entrepreneurial Intention: A Serial Mediation Analysis

Abstract

Entrepreneurship field is quickly evolving and matures as a discipline that gets considerable attention of researchers. One prevalent area of research in the field of entrepreneurship is investigating one’s intention of establishing a new venture which is known as entrepreneurial intention. Entrepreneurial intention is a significant construct not only for predicting entrepreneurial behavior but also works as a base for becoming entrepreneur. Aim of current study is to examine the direct contributing role of emotional intelligence in predicting entrepreneurial intention as well as indirect relationship of these constructs by adding two mediators, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and self-regulation, using serial mediation model. Final year students of various public sector universities of KP (A province of Pakistan) enrolled in business administration programs are the target population of current study. Survey research strategy is employed which is commonly used in quantitative research projects where generally data is collected from sample which is a representative proportion of the target population. Simple random sampling technique is adopted. Questionnaire is used as primary data collecting instrument from 352 respondents having Likert type scales. Descriptive statistics containing means and standard deviations are employed whereas scale reliability analysis is also conducted for confirming reliability of scales employed. Relationship related hypotheses are tested through Pearson correlation analysis. Also as in present study, serial mediation is involved so for this, serial mediation model # 6 by Hayes (2013), is employed. At the end it is concluded that emotional intelligence, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and self-regulation all are important attributes of students, which infuse the feelings of entrepreneurial intention among them. Several propostions based on the discussion, theoretical and managerial implications are also offered laterly