Early recognition of entrepreneurial traits and intentions: a comparative study on university students in Australia and Japan

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of entrepreneurial traits on entrepreneurial intentions, while exploring the mediating role of entrepreneurial alertness. An online structured questionnaire (facilitated by Qualtrics tool) via the Facebook platform was used to collect data from university students in Australia and Japan. We applied bootstrapping and algorithms performed on Smart-PLS software to test the study’s developed hypotheses. The findings suggest risk-taking propensity affects Australian and Japanese students’ entrepreneurial alertness the greatest. However, Japanese students’ need for achievement has a considerable influence on entrepreneurial alertness and an indirect effect on entrepreneurial intentions. Japanese students’ self-efficacy has little influence on entrepreneurial awareness or intentions, but Australian students do. Overall, Japanese student personality factors affect more to entrepreneurial alertness and entrepreneurial intentions. The research findings are original and unique and are based on established models and theories from the literature on entrepreneurship. The results are based on a sample of Australian and Japanese institutions owing to the Australia–Japan friendship, common strategy, and economic interests. Respondents are from six Australian and Japanese institutions. Educational institutions, academics, and policymakers may leverage the study results for entrepreneurial success. Future research should reflect this study’s limitations. The researcher did not study the direct impact of personality factors on entrepreneurial inclinations. Future studies should explore the influence of personality factors on entrepreneurial inclinations. Future research may conduct a similar study in other countries.