Exploring How Passion Shapes Entrepreneurial Intentions: The Mediating Role of Persistence and Resilience

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
Saeid Karimi 1
Ahmad Yaghoubi Farani 2
Ahmad Salman Makreet 3
1 Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Islamic Republic of Iran.
2 Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculture, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Islamic Republic of Iran.
3 Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, Samangan University, Samangan, Afghanistan.
Abstract
This quantitative, cross-sectional study extends the existing literature by investigating the mediating roles of persistence and resilience in the relationship between entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial intentions. A total of 300 agriculture students were selected using proportional stratified random sampling from two public universities in Afghanistan. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed hypotheses. The results showed that entrepreneurial passion is directly and positively associated with entrepreneurial intentions. Furthermore, persistence and resilience partially mediated this relationship. The findings contribute to a better understanding of how entrepreneurial passion fosters entrepreneurial intentions among students in fragile and resource-constrained environments. The study offers implications for educators and policymakers to design entrepreneurship education programs that promote emotional and psychological readiness for entrepreneurial action.


Keywords
Entrepreneurial mindset
Psychological resources
Startup intention theory of planned behavior
University students
Subjects
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Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume 28, Issue 4
July and August 2026
Pages 797-814