Psychological Capital and Entrepreneurial Intention—The Mediation Role of Internet Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy

Based on Social Cognitive Theory and Positive Psychology, this study addresses a research gap by examining internet entrepreneurial self-efficacy as a mediating mechanism between psychological capital and internet entrepreneurial intention in the digital context—a relationship rarely explored among engineering students in Eastern European economies. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional design, data were collected from 900 undergraduates enrolled in three Romanian technical universities who completed a set of specific instruments. Entrepreneurial intention was measured with the Individual Entrepreneurial Intent Scale adapted for online entrepreneurship; entrepreneurial self-efficacy in the online context was assessed using the Internet Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy Scale; and psychological capital was measured with the Psychological Capital Questionnaire adapted for the student environment. The mediation analysis conducted through PROCESS-macro showed that psychological capital exerts a significant indirect effect on internet entrepreneurial intention via internet entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Psychological capital exerted a strong effect on internet entrepreneurial self-efficacy (β = 0.538), which in turn influenced the intention to start an online business (β = 0.213), while the direct effect on internet entrepreneurial intention remained relatively reduced (β = 0.037). The results indicate that positive psychological resources foster entrepreneurial intention by strengthening confidence specific to the digital environment. This study advances Social Cognitive Theory by demonstrating that internet entrepreneurial self-efficacy operates as the proximal cognitive pathway through which psychological capital is translated into entrepreneurial intention in online settings, clarifying how general psychological resources acquire domain-specific relevance in digital entrepreneurship.