Vision vs venture: persistence, narcissism, E-platform knowledge and support in entrepreneurship

PurposeThe domain of E-entrepreneurial intentions has gained prominence in India because entrepreneurial activities have significantly risen over the last decade. The growth of E-commerce and emphasis on the digital economy present ample opportunities for online enterprises within the country. The study aims to evaluate the influence of crucial personality attributes and the E-platforms on the E-entrepreneurial intentions of engineering students.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed structural equation modeling (SEM), integrating the technology acceptance model (TAM) with the social cognitive theory (SCT) to assess the E-entrepreneurial intentions of 430 students enrolled in India’s leading five engineering institutions. It examined the model’s direct and indirect associations through mediation and moderation analyses.FindingsThe findings indicate that perceived innovativeness, E-platform knowledge, entrepreneurial persistence and narcissism evoke entrepreneurial interest, subsequently intensifying students’ intentions toward E-entrepreneurship. Perceived innovativeness and entrepreneurial interest mediate the relationship between E-platform knowledge, entrepreneurial persistence and perceived innovativeness on the one hand and E-entrepreneurial intentions on the other. In addition, information and communication technology (ICT) support strengthens the link between entrepreneurial interest and intentions, while perceived security threats weaken this relationship.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings could be immensely valuable for entrepreneurship support organizations, aspiring entrepreneurs, angel investors, banks, policymakers and educational institutions.Originality/valueThere is a dearth of studies that have explored the dimensions of E-platform knowledge, entrepreneurial persistence, narcissism, entrepreneurial interest and ICT support in the entrepreneurial literature. Therefore, the study goes to greater depths by integrating SCT and TAM to unfurl the issues by considering psychological and technological viewpoints in entrepreneurship.