Multiple pathways to green entrepreneurial behaviour: A configurational study in Vietnam

This study advances sustainable entrepreneurship research by examining how cognitive, motivational, and disciplinary factors jointly shape green entrepreneurial behaviour (GEB) among university students in Vietnam. Extending the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), the model incorporates innovation orientation and self-expectations to better capture the intention–action linkage. A mixed-methods design combining Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) was applied across four academic disciplines. Results show that attitude, self-efficacy, subjective norms, innovation orientation, and self-expectations significantly influence green entrepreneurial intention (EI), which is the primary predictor of GEB. Knowledge and financial capital were non-significant. fsQCA reveals three equifinal configurations, highlighting causal asymmetry and the disciplinary nature of entrepreneurial logic. Notably, non-linear and synergistic effects between attitude and self-expectations were identified, and the intention–behaviour link was stronger for male and STEM students. These findings offer theoretical integration of TPB, effectuation, and disciplinary logic, while providing actionable insights for designing targeted, context-sensitive green entrepreneurship education in emerging economies.