Entrepreneurial intention in the digital age

This study examines how soft skills influence the entrepreneurial intention of university students in digital contexts, incorporating the moderating role of digital resources, prior entrepreneurial experience, and support networks. Based on a cross-sectional, non-experimental, and correlational design, the research surveyed 535 undergraduate students from business and economics programs at a Mexican public university. The survey instrument included validated scales for entrepreneurial intention, soft skills (creativity, proactivity, internal locus of control, and risk aversion), and contextual moderators. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability tests confirmed the internal consistency of all constructs. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that creativity and internal locus of control were significant and positive predictors of entrepreneurial intention, while risk aversion showed a significant negative effect. Proactivity, despite its theoretical relevance, did not reach statistical significance. A second regression model incorporating interaction terms indicated that none of the proposed moderators significantly altered the primary relationships between soft skills and entrepreneurial intention. These findings underscore the differential impact of specific soft skills and call for more nuanced educational interventions that strengthen creativity and internal locus of control, while also addressing students’ ability to manage uncertainty. Although contextual factors did not show a moderating effect, their potential role in indirect or mediated pathways should be further investigated. Overall, the study contributes to a more integrative understanding of the psychological and contextual variables that shape entrepreneurial intention in digitally mediated educational environments.