Relationships between locus of control, theory of planned behavior, and cyber entrepreneurial intention: The moderating role of cyber entrepreneurship education

Abstract

The study aimed to examine the determinants of cyber entrepreneurial intention by integrating the perspectives of the theory of planned behavior (TPB), locus of control, and cyber entrepreneurship education. Data collected from 242 valid respondents were analyzed against the research model using the partial least squares structural equation modeling. The findings revealed that internal locus of control facilitates perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, and attitudes, which, in turn, increase cyber entrepreneurial intention. Furthermore, cyber entrepreneurship education was shown to have a positive moderating effect on the relationships between attitudes and intention and between subjective norms and intention, and a negative moderating effect on the relationship between perceived behavioral control and intention. This study represents a pioneering effort to investigate the determinants of cyber entrepreneurial intention by extending the theory of planned behavior. The results support locus of control as a cognitive personality trait that facilitates the cognition constructs of the theory of planned behavior in the context of cyber entrepreneurship. Furthermore, cyber entrepreneurship education was shown to moderate the relationships between TPB cognition constructs and cyber entrepreneurial intention. The findings of this study provide several important theoretical and practical implications for cyber entrepreneurship education.