Cognitive flexibility of entrepreneurs: a study of Chinese Students' entrepreneurial intentions

Abstract

Purpose-Economic resilience is a fundamental pillar of a country's prosperity. It is not surprising that economic advancement is a critical driving force that sustains a nation's growth and development. This study investigates the pivotal role of entrepreneurial enterprises in fostering economic growth in China through innovation. It scrutinizes the effects of several key factors, such as an entrepreneurial mindset, strong social networks, and personal strengths, on entrepreneurial intentions. The study demonstrates that these factors exert significant influence on an individual's decision to become an entrepreneur. Furthermore, the degree to which an individual embraces change, and adaptability can modulate the magnitude of these factors on their entrepreneurial inclination. The findings of this study may serve as a valuable resource for educational institutions in China to inspire and cultivate entrepreneurial aspirations among students. Nonetheless, this research is subject to certain limitations, and therefore, calls for further investigation to deepen our understanding in this domain. Design/methodology/approach-The study conducted a survey using a Likert scale questionnaire and received 901 complete responses out of 1100 questionnaires distributed online. The researchers employed Smart PLS 3.0 software for data analysis. By applying simple random technique for data collection was performed. The objective of this research was to identify the partial least – square. Findings-This study supports the hypotheses related to factors influencing a person's intention to become an entrepreneur. The hypotheses include entrepreneurial orientation's effects, on the intentions of entrepreneurs, social and psychological capital. The study also explores the moderating effect of cognitive flexibility on these relationships. The results suggest that cognitive flexibility positively influences the relationship between these factors and a person's intention to become an entrepreneur. It has been funded that, the study highlights the importance of considering multiple factors and their interactions when understanding entrepreneurial intentions. Research limitations/implications - This study investigates the interrelation between social capital, psychological capital, and entrepreneurial intention. It also examines how entrepreneurial orientation affects entrepreneurial intention. The study reveals three new positive moderating relationships, with an emphasis on the moderating role of cognitive flexibility. The findings highlight the importance of entrepreneurial orientation, psychological capital, and cognitive flexibility in fostering entrepreneurial intentions. This study is confined to China only. Future research could delve deeper into factors that contribute to the development of social and psychological capital and explore emotional intelligence and critical thinking ability as well. Originality/value – Turnitin plagiarism detection software was used to determine the originality of this study, and the similarity score was 7%, indicating a high degree of uniqueness in its approach and findings.