Mediation Effect of Entrepreneurial Alertness Between Prior Knowledge and Experience on Entrepreneurial Intention Among Accountancy Students

Abstract

The ability to recognize valuable business prospects is the primary meta-skill for entrepreneurship and can be deliberated through entrepreneurial alertness. In the opportunity identification perspective of entrepreneurship, inadequate attention is provided for the development of entrepreneurial alertness and its effectiveness among students pursuing professional or postgraduate courses in a specific discipline. Therefore, the present study determines the intervening role of entrepreneurial alertness in the causal association of students’ prior knowledge and experience on their entrepreneurial intention. The data of 408 final level students studying Chartered accountancy course from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) were gathered through cluster sampling. The statistical method of structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to examine the postulated associations. The results indicate that the students’ knowledge and experience appropriately stimulate the alertness for potential business prospects, which further motivates the intention for entrepreneurial actions. The partial intervention of entrepreneurial alertness is also observed ensuring that the use of knowledge and experience in identifying profitable business opportunity increases the chances of selecting a successful entrepreneurial career. The findings of the study contribute to the promotion of early-stage entrepreneurship among students of a specific discipline.