Un-Packing the Mechanism of Entrepreneurial Intentions: Curiosity Pathway

Abstract

This study examines how entrepreneurial curiosity affects university students' entrepreneurial intention, with entrepreneurial capabilities and entrepreneurial opportunity recognition as mediators. The study is quantitative, using a cross-sectional survey design, grounded in the theory of planned behavior and social cognitive theory. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data from 387 undergraduate and postgraduate students of five major universities in Pakistan. Covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) was used for data analysis. The results show that entrepreneurial intention is directly and positively influenced by entrepreneurial curiosity, with entrepreneurial capabilities and opportunity recognition partially mediating this relationship. The study makes a theoretical contribution to the literature on entrepreneurship cognition and provides practical implications for teachers and policymakers in the field to encourage entrepreneurial behaviour among youth in Pakistan. Some limitations and directions for further studies are mentioned.