PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL MEDIATION AND PEER SUPPORT MODERATION IN ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.9744/jmk.28.1.78-92Keywords:
Creativity, risk-taking propensity, digital literacy, psychological capital, peer support, entrepreneurial intentionAbstract
Entrepreneurial intention research remains fragmented, often emphasizing isolated personal traits while overlooking the psychological and social mechanisms that translate capabilities into sustained entrepreneurial drive. This study addresses that limitation by examining how creativity, risk taking propensity, and digital literacy influence entrepreneurial intention through psychological capital, with peer support acting as a contextual amplifier. Using survey data from 250 undergraduate students and analyzed via PLS-SEM, the findings demonstrate that psychological capital serves as a pivotal resource mechanism converting individual competencies into entrepreneurial motivation. Moreover, peer support strengthens the capacity of psychological capital to shape intention, highlighting the interactive role of internal and external resources. The study advances the literature by repositioning psychological capital from a mere predictor to a mediating engine that channels capabilities into intention, while conceptualizing peer support as a boundary condition that enhances resource deployment. Theoretically, this refines resource based and social capital perspectives by integrating personal competencies, psychological assets, and social context into a unified explanatory model. Practically, it suggests that entrepreneurship education must simultaneously cultivate digital competence, psychological capital, and structured peer ecosystems to effectively stimulate entrepreneurial readiness.
References
Agyapong, A., Appiah, F. A., Osei, H. V., & Aidoo, S. (2025). When and how does creativity influence performance? An examination of SMEs in an emerging economy. Africa Journal of Management, 11(2), 176–202. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322373.2025.2500919
Al-Ayed, S. (2024). Effect of digital opportunity recognition on students’ digital entrepreneurial intentions and behavior. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 22(1), 673–686. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.22(1).2024.53
Al Issa, H. E. (2022). Psychological capital for success: the mediating role of entrepreneurial persistence and risk-taking. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, 14(4), 525–548. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEEE-09-2020-0337
Alhadihaq, M. Y., Zakiah, S., Sudjatmoko, A., Winarno, A., & Hermana, D. (2024). How creative self efficacy foster entrepreneurial intention through creative process engagement in entrepreneurial higher education eco-system. Cogent Economics and Finance, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23322039.2024.2370910
Alkharafi, N., Alsaber, A., & Alnajem, M. (2024). Exploring entrepreneurial orientation in an emerging economy. Journal of Innovation and Knowledge, 9(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2024.100553
Aloulou, W. J., & Amari, A. (2025). The Influence of psychological capital on entre-preneurial intentions among fresh graduates in Saudi Arabia: A mediation analysis using the theory of planned behaviour. Vision: The Journal of Business Perspective, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/09722629251359094
Appiah, E. K. (2023). Social media usage and entrepreneurial opportunity recognition among internationalising SME. Decision-Making in International Entrepreneurship: Unveiling Cognitive Implications Towards Entrepreneurial Internationalisation, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80382-233-420231001
Bachmann, N., Rose, R., Maul, V., & Hölzle, K. (2024). What makes for future entrepreneurs? The role of digital competencies for entre-preneurial intention. Journal of Business Research, 174(October 2022), 114481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114481
Badan Pusat Statistik. (2025). Labour force situation in February 2025. In Badan Pusat Statistik Nasional Indonesia (Vol. 5, Issue 1, pp. 1–8).
Barba-Sánchez, V., Mitre-Aranda, M., & Brío-González, J. del. (2022). The entrepreneurial intention of university students: An envi-ronmental perspective. European Research on Management and Business Economics, 28(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iedeen.2021.100184
Buckingham, S., Tu, G., Elliott, L., Poole, R., Walker, T., Bland, E., & Morrissey, K. (2023). Digital competence and psycho-logical wellbeing in a social housing community: a repeated survey study. BMC Public Health, 23(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16875-2
Caputo, A., Nguyen, V. H. A., & Delladio, S. (2025). Risk-taking, knowledge, and mindset: unpacking the antecedents of entrepreneurial intention. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 21(1), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-024-01064-3
Chang, F. Y. M., Alam, M. A., & Taylor, M. (2025). The mediating and moderating roles of entrepreneurship education in the perceived acquisition of entrepreneurial learning and knowledge. Journal of Innovation and Knowledge, 10(1), 100645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2024.100645
Chen, H. X. (2024). Exploring the influence of proactive personality on entrepreneurial intention: The mediating role of entrepreneurial attitude and moderating effect of perceived educational support among university students. SAGE Open, 14(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241233379
Chin, W. W. (1998). The partial least squares approach to structural equation modelling. In Marcoulides G. A. (Ed.). Modern Methods for Business Research, 295(2), 295–336.
Chuah, F., & Cham, T. (2023). Addressing Common method bias, operationalization, sampling, and data collection issues in quantitative research: Review and recommendations. Journal of Applied Structural Equation Modeling, 7(June), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.47263/JASEM.7(2)01
Duong, C. D., Bui, H. N., Chu, T. V., Van Pham, T., & Do, N. D. (2024). ICT skills, entrepreneurial self-perceived creativity, and digital entrepreneurship: Insights from the stimulus-organism-response model. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 54(January), 101646. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2024.101646
Erden, H. (2025). The influence of teachers’ psychological capital on the quality of work life: exploring the mediating impact of emotions. Frontiers in Psychology, 16(February), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1557030
Ganefri, Kamdi, W., Makky, M., Hidayat, H., & Rahmawati, Y. (2024). Entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention among university students: The roles of entrepreneurial mindset, digital literacy, and self-efficacy. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 15(4), 85–134.
Haddoud, M. Y., Nowiński, W., Laouiti, R., & Onjewu, A. K. E. (2024). Entrepreneurial implementation intention: The role of psychological capital and entrepreneurship education. International Journal of Management Education, 22(2), 0–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2024.100982
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2023). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). Sage.
He, W. J., & Zhang, K. (2025). Understanding the relationships among dispositional mindfulness, PsyCap, creative motivation, and creative performance: a sequential mediation model. Frontiers in Psychology, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1605358
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
Hutasuhut, S., Aditia, R., & Thamrin. (2024). The mediating role of entrepreneurial orientation: the impact of entrepreneurship education and patriarchal culture on entrepreneurial intention among Indonesian university students. Cogent Business and Management, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2369156
Indrawan, Salju, & Khaddapi, M. (2025). The role of social capital and digital literacy on entrepreneurial performance. RAC (Revista de Administração Contemporânea), 29(1), 1–16.
Karami, A., Shemshaki, M., & Ghazanfar, M. A. (2024). Exploring the ethical implications of AI-powered personalization in digital marketing. Data Intelligence, October. https://doi.org/10.3724/2096-7004.di.2024.0055
Karami, M., Araujo, C. F., Tang, J., & Roldan, L. B. (2024). Creativity, alertness, and entre-preneurship: A multilevel meta-analysis. Journal of Small Business Management, 63(5), 2079–2116. https://doi.org/10.1080/00472778.2024.2418030
Kohli, A., & Singh, harendra P. (2022). Factors influencing entrepreneurial orientation of the students: A review. International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (IJCRT), 10(12), 255–274.
Kumar, D., Upadhyay, Y., Yadav, R., & Goyal, A. K. (2022). Psychological capital and innovative work behaviour: The role of mastery orientation and creative self-efficacy. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 102(January), 53–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103157
Li, H., Ozdemir, S. Z., & Heslin, P. A. (2023). Merely folklore? The Role of a growth mindset in the taking and timing of entrepreneurial actions. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 47(6), 2077–2120. https://doi.org/10.1177/10422587221128270
Liang, Y., Chen, R., Hong, H., Li, S., & Han, L. (2025). Shaping digital entrepreneurial intention in higher education: the role of entrepreneurship education, creativity, and digital literacy among Chinese university students. Journal of Innovation and Knowledge, 10(5), 100788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2025.100788
Liu, X., Wu, X., Wang, Q., & Zhou, Z. (2022). Entrepreneurial mindfulness and organizational resilience of Chinese SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of entrepreneurial resilience. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(October), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.992161
Luthans, F., Morgan, C. M. Y., & Avolio, B. J. (2021). Psychological capital and beyond. In Encyclopedia of Management Theory. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452276090.n50
Mahama, I., Eshun, P., Amos, P. M., Antwi, T., Amoako, B. M., & Eggley, V. E. (2023). Psychological precursors of entrepreneurial intentions among higher education students in Ghana. Discover Education, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-023-00047-w
Mahmood, R., Ahmad, Z., Zahari, A. S. M., Mohd Fuza, Z. I., & Azmin, N. A. M. (2024). Entrepreneurship education position and entrepreneurial intention: the perception of malaysian undergraduate students. International Journal of Social Science Research, 12(2), 119. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijssr.v12i2.21534
Mao, Y., Xie, M., Li, M., Gu, C., Chen, Y., Zhang, Z., & Peng, C. (2023). Promoting academic self-efficacy, positive relationships, and psychological resilience for Chinese university students’ life satisfaction. Educational Psychology, 43(1), 78–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2022.2138830
Mei-jiao, H. (2025). How Green Mindful Leadership Drives Employee Green Creativity : The Role of Employee Resilience, Green Identity, and Workplace Digitalization. September, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251366007
Na, B., Ahmad, N. H., Zhang, C., & Han, Y. (2022). Entrepreneurial intention and delayed job satisfaction from the perspective of emotional interaction: The mediating of psychological capital. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(June), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.925460
Ngo, T. T., & Vu, T. H. (2025). The impacts of psychological capital, risk-taking propensity, and entrepreneurial competence on the sustainability performance of SMEs. Cogent Business and Management, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2025.2466810
Özsari, A., Tek, T., Uysal, H., Genç, M., Toros, T., Pepe, Ş., & Altin, M. (2025). The effect of digital literacy on mental toughness: research on a sport branch. Frontiers in Psychology, 16(April), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1385044
Poolsawat, P. (2021). Effects of risk-taking pro-pensity and psychological capital on entre-preneurial intention: The mediating role of attitude towards entrepreneurship in southern thailand. ABAC Journal, 41(2), 82–100.
Priyono, P., Agung, A. I., Buditjahjanto, I. G. P. A., Anifah, L., & Agfianto, T. (2024). The influence of creativity and learning motivation on entrepreneurial intentions of fisheries vocational high school students. Jurnal Pendidikan Vokasi, 14(1), 97–109. https://doi.org/10.21831/jpv.v14i1.69869
Putro, A. K., & Takahashi, Y. (2024). Entrepreneurs’ creativity, information technology adoption, and continuance intention: Mediation effects of perceived usefulness and ease of use and the moderation effect of entrepreneurial orientation. Heliyon, 10(3), e25479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25479
Ridwan, M., Zaki, A., Mubarok, A. A., Sasongko, R. M., & Saputro, B. P. (2024). Exploring the effects of creativity and educational support on digital entrepreneurial intention. Jurnal Administrasi Bisnis (JABis), 22(2), 145. https://doi.org/10.31315/jurnaladmbisnis.v22i2.12826
Shatila, K., Aránega, A. Y., Soga, L. R., & Hernández-Lara, A. B. (2025). Digital literacy, digital accessibility, human capital, and entrepreneurial resilience: a case for dynamic business ecosystems. Journal of Innovation and Knowledge, 10(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2025.100709
Shore, A., Tiwari, M., Tandon, P., & Foropon, C. (2024). Building entrepreneurial resilience during crisis using generative AI: An empirical study on SMEs. Technovation, 135(June), 103063. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2024.103063
Villanueva-Flores, M., Hernández-Roque, D., Díaz-Fernández, M., & Bornay-Barrachina, M. (2023). Exploring the mediation role of perceived behavioural control and subjective norms in the relationship between psychological capital and entrepreneurial intention of university students. International Journal of Management Education, 21(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2023.100865
Wach, K., Maciejewski, M., & Głodowska, A. (2023). Inside entrepreneurial orientation: do risk-taking and innovativeness influence proactiveness? Economics and Sociology, 16(1), 159–175. https://doi.org/10.14254/2071-789X.2023/16-1/11
Wang, Q. (2023). The effect of parenting practices on creativity: mediating role of psychological resilience. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 16, 4501–4514. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S436370
Wibowo, A., Narmaditya, B. S., Suparno, Sebayang, K. D. A., Mukhtar, S., & Shafiai, M. H. M. (2023). How does digital entre-preneurship education promote entre-preneurial intention? The role of social media and entrepreneurial intuition. Social Sciences and Humanities Open, 8(1), 100681. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100681
Wibowo, A., Saptono, A., Narmaditya, B. S., Effendi, M. S., Mukhtar, S., Suparno, & Shafiai, M. H. M. (2024). Using technology acceptance model to investigate digital business intention among Indonesian students. Cogent Business and Management, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2314253
Xu, C., & Wang, Q. (2022). The relationships of creative coping and college students’ achievement emotions and academic stress: The mediating role of psychological capital. Journal of Intelligence, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence10040126
Yu, X., Zhao, X., & Hou, Y. (2023). Cognitive flexibility and entrepreneurial creativity: the chain mediating effect of entrepreneurial alertness and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Frontiers in Psychology, 14(November), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1292797
Yuan, R., Chen, Y., & Zheng, Y. (2024). The impact of deep learning based- psychological capital with ideological and political education on entrepreneurial intentions. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-68997-1
Zhang, H., & Chen, H. (2023). Sustainable entrepreneurship out of entrepreneurial opportunity identification: The mediating role of psychological capital. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1129855
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Yusmedi Nurfaizal, Mugiarti

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish on this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).















