The Role of Personality Traits in Shaping Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intentions: Mediating Effects of Entrepreneurial Vigilance Among University Students

Abstract

In response to the growing complexity of the labor market, characterized by the instability of traditional jobs and technological transformations, entrepreneurship is emerging as a credible alternative for employment and social mobility. In this context, the study of psychological determinants of entrepreneurial behavior, particularly personality traits, is attracting increasing interest, although empirical results remain mixed. Moreover, entrepreneurial vigilance is seen as a key cognitive resource for identifying opportunities. This study examines the effect of personality traits on students’ sustainable entrepreneurial intention, focusing on the mediating role of entrepreneurial vigilance. Based on a hypothetico-deductive approach and the PLS-SEM method, the analysis conducted among 162 students highlights the interaction between individual dispositions and cognitive vigilance, offering implications for entrepreneurship education and public policy.