Navigating entrepreneurial success: emotional intelligence and its mediating link to psychological capital

This study explores the complex relationships between psychological capital, entrepreneurial behaviour, and emotional intelligence among educators in Indian higher education, with a particular emphasis on business and engineering. The study investigates the mediating function of psychological capital in the relationship between emotional intelligence and entrepreneurial behaviour, guided by the theory of planned behaviour. Data from a sample of 500 faculty members who were spread over four engineering colleges and six business institutions associated with both public and private universities were gathered using a quantitative approach and the survey method. Convenience sampling was used to distribute the survey, and 464 valid responses were obtained representing the entire targeted population. The results highlight the significance of emotional intelligence in influencing faculty members' entrepreneurial activities. Furthermore, the research clarifies psychological capital's pivotal role as an intermediate and its influence on the complex connection between emotional intelligence and entrepreneurial behaviour. These findings add a great deal to the body of knowledge in academia by illuminating the complex relationships between psychological capital, emotional intelligence, and entrepreneurial behaviour in the Indian higher education setting. These findings also have significant practical ramifications, providing direction on how to promote an entrepreneurial culture in the nation's higher education system.