University of Isfahan Research in Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences 2251-7642 7 1 2017 07 23 The Role of Entrepreneurial Personality Profile and Motivational Factors in Developing Agricultural Students’ Entrepreneurial Intentions in Western Regional Universities The Role of Entrepreneurial Personality Profile and Motivational Factors in Developing Agricultural Students’ Entrepreneurial Intentions in Western Regional Universities 17 34 21760 10.22108/cbs.2017.21760 FA Saeid Karimi Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship Education and Development, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran Journal Article 2015 09 28 In recent years the topic of entrepreneurship has become a major focus in the social sciences, with renewed interest in the links between personality and entrepreneurship. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior, we investigated the role of motivational factors (i.e., attitudes toward entrepreneurship, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control) and entrepreneurial personality (Big Five profile) in shaping entrepreneurial intentions. Focusing on agricultural students’ entrepreneurial intentions, we investigated entrepreneurial personality as a distal variable in the TPB model. The statistical population of this research consisted of 1450 senior agricultural students at four public universities in the west of Iran (N=1450). According to a table developed by Bartlett et al., a sample of 300 students was chosen through random stratified sampling method. Data was collected using a questionnaire survey. The results of structural equation modelling indicated that entrepreneurial intentions were predicted by attitude towards entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control (P<0.01). Moreover, entrepreneurial personality profile was positively related to attitude towards entrepreneurship (P<0.05) and perceived behavioral control (P<0.01). Findings of structural equation modeling further revealed indirect effects via attitude towards entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control (i.e., mediation effects). The results highlight the importance of personality approach in entrepreneurship research and support the idea that personality effects on entrepreneurial outcomes are mediated by more proximal factors such as perceived behavioral control. In recent years the topic of entrepreneurship has become a major focus in the social sciences, with renewed interest in the links between personality and entrepreneurship. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior, we investigated the role of motivational factors (i.e., attitudes toward entrepreneurship, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control) and entrepreneurial personality (Big Five profile) in shaping entrepreneurial intentions. Focusing on agricultural students’ entrepreneurial intentions, we investigated entrepreneurial personality as a distal variable in the TPB model. The statistical population of this research consisted of 1450 senior agricultural students at four public universities in the west of Iran (N=1450). According to a table developed by Bartlett et al., a sample of 300 students was chosen through random stratified sampling method. Data was collected using a questionnaire survey. The results of structural equation modelling indicated that entrepreneurial intentions were predicted by attitude towards entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control (P<0.01). Moreover, entrepreneurial personality profile was positively related to attitude towards entrepreneurship (P<0.05) and perceived behavioral control (P<0.01). Findings of structural equation modeling further revealed indirect effects via attitude towards entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control (i.e., mediation effects). The results highlight the importance of personality approach in entrepreneurship research and support the idea that personality effects on entrepreneurial outcomes are mediated by more proximal factors such as perceived behavioral control. https://cbs.ui.ac.ir/article_21760_994988eb7642e892de58562b03401de3.pdf