Abstract
Start-ups focused on social benefits have recently attracted growing attention from both entrepreneurs and researchers. Given that profit seeking is often considered a key entrepreneurial motivation, an important question arises as to whether other factors also drive social entrepreneurship. This study, therefore, examines the relationships between Perceived Creativity Disposition (PCD), Entrepreneurial Mindset (EMI), Entrepreneurial Passion (EPA), and Social Entrepreneurial Intention (SEI) in the context of Vietnam’s emerging economy. Employing a quantitative research design, the analysis investigates both the direct effects of these individual characteristics on SEI and the moderating role of the entrepreneurial university climate (EUC). This research employed a quantitative approach, with data collected from 411 students at universities in Southern Vietnam, and utilized PLS-SEM for data analysis. The findings demonstrate that higher levels of PCD, EMI, and EPA significantly enhance SEI, underscoring the importance of fostering creativity, developing entrepreneurial thinking, and nurturing passion in educational environments. Moreover, EUC strengthens the positive effects of these factors, indicating that supportive institutional ecosystems amplify students’ intentions to pursue social entrepreneurship. This study advances current literature by clarifying how psychological and contextual elements jointly shape SEI in a developing-country setting and offers actionable implications for educators and policymakers seeking to design more effective entrepreneurship programs. Future research directions are also proposed to further explore these connections in a variety of contexts and research setting.
Keywords: Entrepreneurial Mindset, Entrepreneurial Passion, Entrepreneurial University Climate, Perceived Creativity Disposition, Social Entrepreneurial Intention.