The role of entrepreneurial passion in the formation of students' entrepreneurial intentions

Entrepreneurial passion has been suggested as an entrepreneur's central characteristic, theorized to affect a host of entrepreneurial behaviours. Considering the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), a conceptual model was developed and tested which integrated both cognitive (namely, subjective norms, attitudes toward perceived behavioural control and entrepreneurship) and emotional (namely, entrepreneurial passion) factors to determine their contributions to entrepreneurial intentions. This is a quantitative study using a self-report survey for data collection. The hypotheses were examined with 250 university students sample applying the partial least squares method. The results indicate a significant indirect relationship between entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial intentions via their cognitive antecedents (attitudes toward entrepreneurship and perceived behavioural control). The study contributes to the emerging research of entrepreneurial passion in the entrepreneurship field and heightens its role as a factor that should be taken into account to improve entrepreneurship education programs.