Rethinking entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial intention among university students: the role of market intelligence generation

Purpose The paper aims to investigate whether market intelligence generation improves the nexus between entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial intention. Design/methodology/approach The study depended on cross-sectional data collected from 728 Ghanaian university students using a convenience sampling technique. The study’s hypotheses were tested using structural equational modeling, specifically PLS-SEM and SmartPLS 3.3 applications for the data analysis. Findings The research results indicate that entrepreneurial orientation has a direct impact on entrepreneurial intentions, and market intelligence generation also directly predicts entrepreneurial intentions. Additionally, the study opines that market intelligence generation negatively moderates the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial intention. Research limitations/implications The study depended on a convenience sampling technique to gather data from respondents. Also, the study used samples from only public universities in Ghana therefore, generalization of the study findings must be done with care. Practical implications The study contributes to the deeper understanding of how entrepreneurial mindsets are formed and how they can be nurtured to drive entrepreneurship among university students to create for themselves dignified and fulfilling jobs. Originality/value The study advances the entrepreneurial intention literature by theorizing individual behavioral factor as an element of intention to start a business and extending empirical insights from students in sub-Saharan African universities, specifically Ghana.