Exploring the relationship between sustainable knowledge, entrepreneurial skills, and sustainable entrepreneurial intention among first-year business students

This study investigates the role of sustainable knowledge and entrepreneurial skill sets on entrepreneurial intentions and sustainable entrepreneurial goal orientation among business school students. Recognising the potential heterogeneity among individual students’ intentions towards sustainable entrepreneurship, a person-centred approach is employed using latent profile analysis to examine students’ sustainable entrepreneurial intentions. Six distinct student profiles are identified, each characterised by a unique combination of sustainable knowledge and entrepreneurial skills, resulting in varying entrepreneurial intentions and orientations towards sustainable entrepreneurship. While sustainable knowledge and entrepreneurial skills have a lesser impact on the latter, their combination positively influences entrepreneurial intention. In contrast, a lack of sustainable knowledge leads to a less pronounced entrepreneurial intention. These findings have practical implications for business schools’ active role in fostering sustainable entrepreneurship intentions. Student-centred and holistic pedagogical approaches, such as experiential and problem-based learning, are advocated to cultivate sustainable knowledge, which can serve as a strong foundation for developing not only multidisciplinary entrepreneurial skills but also contributing to building social sustainability.