Individuals' sustainability orientation and entrepreneurial intentions: the mediating role of perceived attributes of the green market

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how perceived attributes of the green market mediate the relationship between individuals' sustainability orientation and entrepreneurial intentions and to what extent field of study (business vs non-business) moderates this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe authors surveyed 314 students in French universities and used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the moderated mediation mechanism.FindingsThe results reveal that the adverse effects of the field of study on the relationship between sustainability orientation and entrepreneurial intentions through the mediating paths of green design and green supply chain. The authors found that these adverse effects were stronger for business students than for non-business students.Practical implicationsThe authors recommend that government and academia collaborate to make crucial management decisions that encourage a sustainable entrepreneurship culture, such as revising the academic curriculum and supporting the inclusion of public–private sector initiatives.Originality/valueThis study contributes to and extends previous findings on the positive nexus between an individual's sustainability orientation and entrepreneurial intentions by theorizing the perceived attributes of the green market as a mediating process for translating sustainability beliefs into entrepreneurial intentions. Additionally, the adverse moderating effect of the field of study adds nuance to previous knowledge on the role of education in determining entrepreneurial intentions.