Entrepreneurial behaviour: The effects of the fear and anxiety of Covid-19 and business opportunity recognition

Objective: The major objectives of the article were to explore the effects of the fear and anxiety of Covid-19 and business opportunity recognition on start-up self-efficacy, entrepreneurial intention, and behaviour, as well as to test entrepreneurial intention-behaviour association. Research Design & Methods: The study was performed by means of an online survey questionnaire conducted on 405 students at a Vietnamese university. The survey questionnaire was developed based on prior research. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was utilised to test the research model and hypotheses. Findings: The results illustrated that the fear and anxiety of Covid-19 have a negative impact on start-up self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intention, while business opportunity recognition is strongly and positively correlated with entrepreneurial self-efficacy, entrepreneurial intention, and behaviour. In addition, entrepreneurial intention is found to be the most important antecedent to predict actual start-up behaviour whereas entrepreneurial intention significantly mediates the association between entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial behaviour. Implications & Recommendations: The study offers practical contributions for both universities and policymakers to foster youths' entrepreneurial activities and manage the negative outcome of Covid-19 on students' mental health. Contribution & Value Added: This research contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by addressing the notable gap when testing the linkages between entrepreneurial intention and behaviour. Furthermore, the finding confirms that the fear and anxiety of Covid-19 can decrease entrepreneurial self-efficacy, intention, and behaviour, while business opportunity recognition fosters entrepreneurial activities.

Automated summary

This study investigates the impact of fear and anxiety from Covid-19 on entrepreneurial activities and student mental health, finding that they decrease entrepreneurial self-efficacy and intention, while business opportunity recognition fosters entrepreneurial activities. The research suggests practical implications for universities and policymakers to support youth entrepreneurship and mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic on students.