The impact of personality traits on entrepreneurial intentions: the roles of risk-taking propensity, perceived entrepreneurial desirability, and work experience

Abstract Although personality traits (the Big Five and Dark Triad), perceived entrepreneurial desirability, and risk-taking propensity are central to understanding entrepreneurship, more theoretical and empirical evidence is needed to explain the mechanisms that stimulate entrepreneurial intention. This study investigates the mediating role of risk-taking propensity and perceived entrepreneurial desirability in the relationship between these personality traits and entrepreneurial intention. Furthermore, it examines the underlying mechanism of this relationship by analyzing the moderating role of work experience. The results of a Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis of 1,046 respondents reveal that certain traits from the Big Five and Dark Triad can predict entrepreneurial intention. The findings also show that risk-taking propensity and perceived entrepreneurial desirability mediate the relationship between personality and entrepreneurial intention. Moreover, work experience strengthens the effect of risk-taking propensity on entrepreneurial intention while weakening the link between perceived entrepreneurial desirability and entrepreneurial intention. The study concludes by discussing theoretical and practical implications.