Cultivating Entrepreneurs: Unpacking the Interplay of Ecosystem, Support, and Attitude in Driving Entrepreneurial Action

Abstract

This study investigates how perceptions of the entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE), educational support (PES), and institutional support (PIS) influence entrepreneurial behavior (EB) through the mediating role of attitude toward entrepreneurship (ATE). Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior and institutional theory, we propose an integrated model tested with data from 450 university students in Gujranwala, Pakistan, using structured questionnaires and regression-based mediation analysis. Results demonstrate that all three environmental factors significantly enhance entrepreneurial attitude, with educational support emerging as the strongest antecedent. Attitude itself powerfully predicts entrepreneurial behavior. While both the entrepreneurial ecosystem and educational support exhibit significant direct effects on behavior alongside their indirect effects through attitude, institutional support operates exclusively through attitude mediation, showing no direct impact on entrepreneurial actions. The findings confirm full mediation for institutional support: Its influence on behavior is entirely channeled through cultivating favorable entrepreneurial attitudes. In contrast, ecosystem perceptions and educational support demonstrate partial mediation, maintaining complementary direct effects on behavior beyond their impact on attitude. This highlights context-driven pathways, where institutional support functions primarily as a risk-mitigating attitude shaper in emerging economies with perceived institutional voids, while ecosystem and educational factors concurrently enable action through both psychological and resource-based pathways. The study advances entrepreneurship theory by integrating macro-environmental and micro-psychological perspectives, revealing distinct mechanisms through which support structures translate into venture creation. Practical implications emphasize: Prioritizing attitude cultivation in entrepreneurship education programs; enhancing visibility of ecosystem resources to strengthen perceived support, and addressing institutional barriers to improve risk perceptions among nascent entrepreneurs.