Engine of entrepreneurial intentions: revisiting personality traits with entrepreneurial education

Purpose The intent to start an entrepreneurial venture is predisposed by certain personality traits. The study aims to analyze the impact of various identified personality traits and entrepreneurial education on entrepreneurial intentions of management students. Design/methodology/approach The data for the study were gathered from 440 students of top 5 management institutes in India. The study used a cross-sectional design and structured questionnaire based on seven-point Likert scale and was administered employing a purposive sampling method. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to validate posited hypotheses in the study. Findings The study discerns that apart from agreeableness dimension of personality traits, all remaining identified dimensions along with entrepreneurial education had a significant influence on entrepreneurial intentions of management students with need for achievement emerging as the most important enabler. Conscientiousness was the major dimension among big five personality traits bearing a positive influence, while neuroticism registered a negative impact on entrepreneurial intentions. In addition, results bespeak that entrepreneurial education partially mediates the effect of need for achievement, locus of control and innovativeness on entrepreneurial intentions. Research limitations/implications The compendious model proffered in the study might be helpful for students, educators, consultants, financial institutions and policymakers in appreciating the gravity of underlying personality traits. Originality/value There is a dearth of research on big five personality traits and entrepreneurial education as enablers of entrepreneurial intentions. The study attempts to integrate big five personality traits model with dimensions of need for achievement, locus of control, innovativeness and entrepreneurial education for management students in India.