Exploring Mechanisms in the Entrepreneurial Passion–Entrepreneurial Behavior Relationship: Mediating Role of Growth-Oriented Intentions

Abstract

This research explores the mechanisms that connect entrepreneurial passion (EP) to entrepreneurial behavior. We investigate the mediating impact of growth-oriented intentions on the relationship between EP and behavior. We conducted a two-wave longitudinal survey study and recruited a sample of 235 undergraduate students from a business school in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Our findings indicate EPs for inventing and for founding are significantly related to entrepreneurial behavior and that growth-oriented intentions partially mediate the relationships between passions for founding and for inventing with behavior. We discuss implications of our findings.