Measuring the Entrepreneurial Mindset: The Motivations behind the Behavioral Intentions of Starting a Sustainable Business

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the entrepreneurial mindset that underlies the behavioral intentions of starting a sustainable business. The research was driven by the factors that are the key drivers of the economy through fostering growth, job creation, technology adoption, and innovation, as well as poverty alleviation. The research adopted a descriptive research design, with the primary data collected from those respondents with at least two years of sustainable business experience. The model comprised entrepreneurial education, innovativeness, and risk-taking as the independent variables, creativity as a mediating variable, and entrepreneurial intention as the dependent variable. The research adopted structural equation modeling to analyze the research objective and verify the hypothesis. The findings indicate that entrepreneurial education, innovativeness, and creativity significantly and positively influence entrepreneurs’ intention to start a sustainable business. Creativity was found to be influenced significantly and positively by entrepreneurial education, risk-taking, innovativeness, and creativity. The research recommends that to enhance the entrepreneurial mindset and the intention to start a sustainable business, the factors that should be enhanced are entrepreneurial education, innovativeness, and creativity. Innovation leads to the development of new products and services in the market; entrepreneurship education equips a person with entrepreneurship fundamentals, while creativity fosters the progress of a sustainable business toward achieving its objectives.

1. Introduction

Entrepreneurship is crucial for the growth of the economy. In economies where entrepreneurs can work amenably and perfect their innovations and profit, the net benefits will be comparatively enhanced in society. When faced with significant regulatory hurdles, entrepreneurs relocate to nations that foster innovation. Governments need to minimize barriers, such as regulations and policies that stifle innovation and creativity, and be ready to absorb the effects of job losses arising from the adoption of entrepreneurial innovations. From policymakers to researchers, all agree that entrepreneurship is a critical and key driver of the economy. Entrepreneurship is considered a key driver of the economy through fostering growth, job creation, technology adoption, and innovation, as well as poverty alleviation. The most important element of entrepreneurship is that it is an intention to start a sustainable business [1,2,3]. Entrepreneurship is not limited to just starting sustainable businesses but also includes understanding the market and its dynamics to develop new products and services.

It also involves developing a sustainable business plan, which helps entrepreneurs understand how their venture will be successful. According to Camacho-Miano and del Campo [4], the role of entrepreneurs can be seen in many areas, such as home-based sustainable businesses, small companies, large companies, etc. In all these cases, one common property is that the entrepreneur has undertaken some risk and is liable for any losses suffered by the venture. In addition to the traditional business models, new business models have emerged in recent years, which are characterized by their high-risk/reward profile. These include the so-called “sharing economy” (e.g., Uber), where users share their cars with others. The so-called “platform economy” (e.g., Airbnb), where users share their property with others, and the so-called “crowdfunding economy” (e.g., Kickstarter), where investors raise funds for entrepreneurs via crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo [5].

The entrepreneurial mindset is the attitude of the people who are willing to start a new business. It is the state of mind entrepreneurs have that is different from the mindset of employees [6,7]. They are ready to take risks, challenge conventional wisdom, and make bold decisions based on their judgment. Entrepreneurs have a strong desire for autonomy, creativity, and challenge. Entrepreneurial intention is the mindset to start a sustainable business and build something. It is the combination of entrepreneurship, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial intention implies “the ability to see yourself not as a member of a social class or profession but as an actor on the stage of human affairs” [8]. It is clear that the aspect of entrepreneurship originates from the mind and is majorly motivated by opportunity or necessity. Kautonen et al. [9] argued that the concept of entrepreneurial intention relates to the intentional act of an individual to pursue starting a new business or project as a career. The goal behind entrepreneurship is to innovate, create value, and build something new. Entrepreneurship is based on visions and goals that are often not based on money. It is not just about making money; it is about creating something that people need, want, and can use [10]. Researchers agreed that to successfully start up a business, an entrepreneur needs to have strong entrepreneurial intent. The concept of entrepreneurial intention can be used when we are trying to predict whether an individual will start up a new sustainable business or not. It helps us understand why people make certain decisions and how they make those decisions.

Researchers have considered the entrepreneurship mindset to be influenced by various personality aspects, including creativity, innovativeness, risk-taking, and entrepreneurship education [10,11]. Pidduck et al. [12] stated that the level of creativity is directly associated with the level of entrepreneurship. The more ideas people have, the more likely they are to start a business. In fact, over 40 percent of all entrepreneurs were identified as creative individuals by their peers [13]. Creativity facilitates the ability to come up with new ideas, which, in turn, can lead to new products or services. Entrepreneurs also look for ways to bring their ideas to life by finding potential customers for them. The more innovative a person is, the more likely it is that he or she will become a successful entrepreneur. This is because innovation involves not just creating new products but also creating new markets for existing products [14,15]. It has been suggested that young adults who are able to innovate may have an advantage over other young adults in terms of becoming entrepreneurs. For example, children who have been encouraged to experiment with various materials, such as clay, will be better prepared than those who have not [16].

Entrepreneurs increase competition for already-existing sustainable businesses by starting new ones. As a result, consumers benefit from lower prices and a wider selection of products. Scholars have created a metric for market mobility, which detects the implications of new business creation on existing enterprises [17]. Liñán and Fayolle [7] asserted that entrepreneurship education is a key factor affecting entrepreneurship. When an entrepreneur has access to education, he/she is more likely to start up a sustainable business because they know what they need to do and how they can achieve their goals. Entrepreneurs also have a clear idea of what success looks like, which allows them to work towards achieving it on time. Given the above background, it is evident that an entrepreneurial mindset is a critical aspect both for the individuals’ welfare, as well as for the economy in general. This research is geared towards empirically investigating the concept of the entrepreneurship mindset and the factors that drive people toward starting a sustainable business. The aspects evaluated include creativity, entrepreneurship education, risk-taking, and innovation.

2. Literature Review

2.1. The Russian Innovation Parallax

In contrast to other innovative and developed nations, Russia has found itself nearly demoted to the echelon of a developing country due to the limited scholarship on Russian entrepreneurial inventions. Russia is a highly developed technological power that has proven it can generate innovation. According to Biagioli and Lépinay [18], Russian human capital is among the best in the world in both mathematics and IT. Russia has been acknowledged as a leader in nuclear power plant exports globally [19]. Russia recently demonstrated its ability to innovate in the pharmaceutical sector, despite the country’s dependence on imported drugs and its preference for generic drugs [20]. The world was once again reminded of the importance of not underestimating Russian technological prowess when the Sputnik vaccine was developed in 2020, echoing the Sputnik satellite’s surprise in 1957 [21]. In its history, Russia has frequently experimented with institutions for innovation [22]. There have been successful initiatives and failed projects [21]. Until the late 1980s, the Soviet Union’s innovation system was one of the two most prolific invention systems on the planet, attributed to institutional experiments [23]. The height of Russian inventiveness occurred during the Soviet era [21]. The number of inventions by the Soviets was comparable to that of the United States [22]. Additionally, there are few historical comparisons to the Soviet Union’s rate of industrialization and economic expansion (Castells 1998). After the dissolution of the USSR, Russia began experimenting, knowing that its stability and global position were tied to its innovativeness and creativity. It imposed high entry barriers in the markets for innovations by transplanting the globalized system of patents [24].

The results were quite inimical to the Russian economy; this policy stifled growth, and the country retrogressed in terms of innovation. Russia today no longer produces as many inventions as the United States does now, which equates to about a ten-fold deficit [25]. The Russian economy has become reliant on the export of natural resources; it is undiversified and highly dependent on the price of oil and gas in the international market [26]. Russia is currently trapped between the resource curse and its untapped possibilities for innovation. Lebedenko [21] described this scenario as the point of “the Death Valley curve,” described by venture capitalists as the time when start-ups are operational without generating any revenue. Both Western and Soviet academics recognized the value of technological innovation for societal and economic advancement [21]. Their divergence, however, was on the issue of how the economy’s knowledge flow should be set up. The Soviets insisted that the system should be set up to promote the free exchange of ideas [27].

The USSR had a strong insight that unless legal barriers to the transfer of knowledge were eliminated, it would not be able to catch up to the West [21]. In order to conceptualize and practicalize this, they established a system of inventor’s certificates as a substitute for the patent system, as well as checks and balances against the clamp on prospective inventions, which contained extensive regulations on discoveries and exceptions to the patentability requirement [21]. The Soviet Union’s intellectual and innovation system was shocked by its dissolution [21]. The haphazard privatization that followed destroyed the established ties between R&D institutions and sustainable businesses [21]. The rationale behind government-led innovation planning was rejected [21]. The nation’s performance in terms of innovation declined [21]. The idea of owning property rights in innovation has taken the place of the Soviet concept of unrestricted knowledge flow [21]. It has been three decades since Russia made patents the exclusive legal framework for inventions [21]. The state of the Russian stance on innovation and entrepreneurship is vastly discussed in Lebedenko [21], outlining the progress so far and the projections for the future outlook.

2.2. The Concept of Entrepreneurial Mindset

Various research has been conducted on the concept of the entrepreneurial mindset, and the role it plays in establishing business ventures. Naumann [28] observed that the entrepreneurial mindset is a mindset that has been adopted by many entrepreneurs and it can be defined as the ability to identify opportunities, evaluate them, and take action on those opportunities. Entrepreneurs are always examining ways to improve their sustainable business and they continuously seek new opportunities to do so [29]. The entrepreneurial mindset is based on having a positive attitude towards life, other people, yourself, and your future success. It also involves being able to think outside of the box and not being afraid of taking risks when necessary.

Hattenberg et al. [10] contend that it is a combination of skills and traits that can be used to create a successful sustainable business. It is the ability to take risks, motivate oneself and others, and be selfmotivated. Entrepreneurship is not just about starting a business; it is about creating something new. The entrepreneurial mindset is one of the most powerful and effective mindsets an entrepreneur can have [12]. It is a philosophy that requires a certain level of selfmotivation and ambition, but it also has a lot more benefits than just personal achievement. It is a mentality that believes in taking risks and making decisions without looking back. The entrepreneurial mindset is also known for being selfconfident and convinced in what a person does. It does not matter if people do not like the idea or if people think it is wrong. As long as the entrepreneur believes in what they do, then that is all that matters [11,12,13,14].

2.3. Hypothesis Development

Entrepreneurial Education and Entrepreneurial Intention

Liu et al. [30] acknowledged that entrepreneurial education implies the imparting of knowledge and skills for entrepreneurship within educational institutions. Education is the process of preparing individuals for the role of an entrepreneur. It gives people the skills and knowledge to be an entrepreneur. It helps them to develop their business ideas, identify opportunities in their environment, develop effective strategies for action, and overcome barriers to success [31]. According to Sun, Lo, Liang, and Wong [32], the purpose of this education process is to develop an entrepreneurial intention and to enable the student to:

(1) Plan a sustainable business idea that they believe in, are passionate about, and can see themselves functioning in;

(2) Identify all the elements required for them to successfully launch their intended business. These include information on how to start a sustainable business, including legal requirements, financial information (profit and loss statement), marketing strategies, and human resources (employees).

The study by Hussain and Norashidah [33] declares that entrepreneurship education enables people to create a sustainable business plan that includes all of the above information, as well as additional details, such as who should be included in the team, what skills they will need, how much cash they should raise from investors and so on. From these empirical reviews, this research developed the following hypotheses:

Hypothesis H1.

Entrepreneurial education has a significantly positive influence on entrepreneurial intention.

Hypothesis H2.

Entrepreneurial education has a significant positive effect on creativity.

Risk Taking and Entrepreneurial Intention

Risk-taking is an essential aspect of entrepreneurship because it allows individuals to take action when no one else will take action for them. It is part of what makes entrepreneurs different from everyone else: they have a vision; they have an idea; they have confidence in their idea, with the potential to make it work, and they are not afraid to act on it [34]. Gurel et al. [35] illustrated that risk-taking and entrepreneurial intention are two sides of the same coin. It is about taking a chance, and breaking out of the box and getting out there to create something new. Entrepreneurial intention is about discovering and developing a passion and then turning that passion into a sustainable business. The ability to take risks is a crucial element of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs must be willing to take risks to succeed in a new market, especially if they are the first movers. Remeikiene et al. [36] also highlight that it is also a key element of entrepreneurship because it is part of the process by which new ventures are created. According to the entrepreneurial intention (EI) model, entrepreneurs take risks to achieve their entrepreneurial intention, or rather, to create something new. Risk-taking is a great entrepreneurial characteristic. It is true not only in the financial sense but also in the creative sense. Risk-taking can be seen as a way of expressing creativity and innovation. The ability to take risks is one of the most important determinants of how successful an entrepreneur will be [37]. Risk-taking allows an entrepreneur to go beyond what they know and what they are used to doing. It provides new opportunities and allows one to try something new even if it might seem risky or unprofitable at first glance (or even after careful consideration). From these critical reviews, the following hypotheses were proposed:

Hypothesis H3.

Risk-taking significantly and positively influences entrepreneurial intention.

Hypothesis H4.

Risk-taking has a significantly positive effect on creativity.

Innovativeness and Entrepreneurial Intention

Innovativeness and entrepreneurial intention are the two most important attributes of a successful entrepreneur. Innovativeness can be defined as the desire to innovate, whereas entrepreneurial intention is an individual’s preference for entrepreneurship as a career choice. Syed et al. [38] inferred that innovativeness as a trait is associated with higher levels of selfesteem and lower levels of depression, which may explain why entrepreneurs tend to be more open to new ideas and why they tend to have higher selfefficacy (the belief that one can successfully perform). Entrepreneurial intention is also related to entrepreneurial traits such as optimism, extraversion, and conscientiousness, which may explain why entrepreneurs tend to be happier than nonentrepreneurs [39]. In the context of entrepreneurship, innovativeness is about being able to solve some problem or create something new that has not been done before [40]. Entrepreneurial intention is the desire to start a sustainable business. The two are related but are not quite the same thing. For example, if a person is an entrepreneur who has innovated and innovates regularly, then they already have entrepreneurial intention. There is no need for them to be combined into one concept (like this one is here) because they are both separate concepts. After borrowing from these analyses, the following hypotheses were developed:

Hypothesis H5.

Innovativeness has a significant positive influence on entrepreneurial intention.

Hypothesis H6.

Innovativeness significantly and positively affects entrepreneurial intention.

Creativity and Entrepreneurial Intention

Creativity is one of the most important factors in entrepreneurship. It affects the ability of entrepreneurs to create new products or services that can be used by customers. Creativity also affects the way entrepreneurs think about their sustainable business and its future. The more creative an entrepreneur is, the more likely they will start their own business [41]. Creativity is a powerful tool for entrepreneurs because it allows them to see things from different perspectives, or even see things differently than others do.

This can lead them down paths that other people would never consider, and this can support them in coming up with reinvigorated conceptions that may appear outlandish at first but turn out to be profitable ones when they finally get around to putting them into practice. Researchers argue that entrepreneurs need creativity more than most other people because they must be able to think outside of the box when it comes to coming up with new ideas and implementing them in their sustainable businesses. They also need this kind of thinking to expand their businesses into new areas where there may not have been any success before now [42]. Entrepreneurial intention is not a fixed value but a function of the situation. The more creative a person is, the more likely they are to become an entrepreneur. This is because creativity increases entrepreneurial intention by increasing the likelihood of having an idea for a sustainable business [43]. From this evaluation, the following hypotheses were conceptualized:

Hypothesis H7.

Creativity has a significantly positive correlation with entrepreneurial intention.

Hypothesis H8.

Creativity mediates the effects of entrepreneur education, risk-taking, and innovativeness on entrepreneurial intention.

Conceptual Framework

Figure 1 shows the variables of the study and their relationships. Entrepreneurial intention is the dependent variable, while creativity is the mediating variable. The study has three independent variables: entrepreneurial education, risk-taking, and innovativeness.

3. Methodology

Population and Sampling

This research adopted a descriptive quantitative survey research design, which was considered critical in developing the subsequent conclusions concerning the research variables and the relationship established between the models. The study used the primary data collected from the respondents, who were running successful businesses in Russia. The population considered all areas of business ventures for those who have been in sustainable business for at least the last two years. The business representatives targeted were the CEOs, business managers, supervisors, and people holding managerial positions in various businesses.

The sample size was selected using simple random sampling. Primary data were collected from the respondents using a structured questionnaire. A total of 600 copies of the questionnaire were distributed, while 478 were returned, representing about an 80% response rate. For the response to form part of the analysis, the screening question “How long has your sustainable business been in operation?” was used to sort the completed copies of the questionnaire. Only those who indicated more than two years were considered for analysis. Of the 478 respondents, 329 indicated that their sustainable business had been operating for more than two years. After reviewing the responses, a total of 285 were considered appropriate to conduct data analysis.

The measurement of various variables in the model was measured using scales developed by previous researchers. Creativity was measured using skills adopted from the Kaufman Domains Creativity Scale (K-Docs) [4]. The measurement of the risk-taking propensity was evaluated using a scale that was adopted from the Jackson Personality Inventory [34]. Entrepreneurial intention was adopted [44]. In order to estimate the proposed model and evaluate the stated hypotheses, partial least-square (PLS) structural equation modeling (SEM) was adopted [39]. The PLS-SEM was conducted in two steps. The first was the evaluation of the model using confirmatory factor analysis to measure the model; then, the structural model was used to determine the relationship between the variables. The analysis was conducted using SPSS-AMOS.

4. Results and Discussion

The descriptive statistics of the variables were evaluated, including the demographic statistics of the study population. The demographics evaluated included the age, gender, and education level of the respondents, which are summarized in

Table 1. Demographic information of the respondents.

Variables	Variable Categories	n	Percent (%)
Gender	Male	198	69.5
	Female	87	30.5
Age (years)	20–30	50	17.5
	31–40	136	47.7
	40+	99	34.7
Education Level	College level	90	31.6
	Undergraduate	135	47.4
	Postgraduates	60	21.1

. The results indicated that the male gender constituted the majority, comprising 69.5%, while females comprised 30.5%. The age-variable results indicated that the age group between 31 and 40 years constituted the majority: 47.7%, followed by 40+ years at 34.7%, and lastly, 20–30 years: 17.5%. The other variable that was evaluated was education level, where undergraduates constituted the majority: 47.4%, followed by college-educated respondents: 31.6%, and lastly, the postgraduate level at 21.1%.

In addition to the descriptive statistics, the measurement model was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. The purpose of the measurement model was to determine the validity and reliability of the constructs and model variables. Validity and reliability were measured by the average variance extracted, Cronbach’s alpha, and the construct reliability. The results are presented in

Table 2. Reliability and validity estimation.

Scale Items	Weights	CR	AVE	Alpha
Creativity		0.855	0.695	0.814
CR1	0.692
CR2	0.677
CR3	0.693
CR4	0.706
CR5	0.753
CR6	0.698
Entrepreneurial Education		0.854	0.593	0.724
EE1	0.648
EE2	0.752
EE3	0.691
EE4	0.708
EE5	0.681
EE6	0.73
Entrepreneurial Intention		0.839	0.768	0.924
EI1	0.546
EI2	0.642
EI3	0.73
EI4	0.724
EI5	0.73
EI6	0.713
Innovativeness		0.788	0.728	0.880
IN1	0.67
IN2	0.668
IN3	0.719
IN4	0.573
IN5	0.631
Risk-Taking		0.838	0.664	0.835
RT1	0.711
RT2	0.68
RT3	0.732
RT4	0.696
RT5	0.643
RT6	0.619

Normed Fit Index (NFI) = 0.962; Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) = 0.052; Goodness of Fitness (GFI) = 0.962; Normed Fit Index (NFI) = 0.961; Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.928.

. From the results, the composite reliability and Cronbach’s alpha were all above the 0.70 threshold. Additionally, the standardized regression weights and average variance extracted were all above 0.5, which is above the recommended threshold [39]. Therefore, these results indicate that the reliability and validity of the results were attained. Similarly, the fitness of the model was evaluated. The required threshold is recommended by Byrne [45], Tucker and Lewis [46], and Schumacker and Lomax [47].

From the analysis of the empirical results, the various research hypotheses of the study were evaluated.

Table 3. Path relationships of the findings.

Hypothesis	Path Diagrams					Beta	S.E.	C.R.	p-Value
H1	EE	→			EI	0.174	0.054	30.234	0.001
H2	EE	→			CR	0.275	0.059	40.683	***
H3	RT	→			EI	−0.011	0.049	−0.219	0.827
H4	RT	→			CR	0.217	0.064	30.368	***
H5	IN	→			EI	0.292	0.102	20.849	0.004
H6	IN	→			CR	0.724	0.092	70.841	***
H7	CR	→			EI	0.453	0.127	30.576	***
H8	EE	→	CR	→	EI	0.270	0.075	30.982	***
	RT	→	CR	→	EI	0.287	0.186	20.292	***
	IN	→	CR	→	EI	0.642	0.067	10.892	***

Note: EI = entrepreneurial intention, CR = creativity, EE = entrepreneurial education, RT = risk taking, IN = innovativeness; *** = significant at 99% confidence level.

presents the path relationships of the findings, and Figure 2 shows the results from the Amos interpretations. The results indicated that entrepreneurial education has a significant and positive influence on entrepreneur intention, with β = 0.174 and a p-value < 0.05. Additionally, entrepreneurial education has a significant and positive influence on creativity, with β = 0.275 and a p-value < 0.001. These results led to the confirmation of the first and the second hypotheses (H1, H2) within this research. The study also investigated the effect of risk-taking appetite on entrepreneurial intention and creativity. The statistical results indicated that risk-taking appetite has a negative and insignificant influence on entrepreneurial intention (β = −0.011, p-value > 0.05) and a positive and significant effect on creativity (β = 0.217, p-value < 0.001). As a result, hypothesis three (H3) was rejected, while hypothesis four (H4) was accepted.

It was also found that innovativeness has a significant and positive influence on entrepreneurial intention (β = 0.292, p-value < 0.05) and a significant and positive influence on creativity (β = 0.724, p-value < 0.001). This led to the confirmation of hypotheses five (H5) and six (H6). Further, creativity was found to have a significant and positive effect on entrepreneur intention (β = 0.453 p-value < 0.001), leading to the acceptance of hypothesis seven (H7) within this research. The last analysis evaluated the mediating role of creativity. The results indicated that creativity significantly mediated the effects of entrepreneurial education, risk-taking, and innovativeness on entrepreneurial intention.

Discussion

Sustainable entrepreneurship is an emerging field within research and knowledge about the factors that affect entrepreneurs’ behavior toward sustainability, and their decisions to formulate and exploit sustainability-oriented opportunities are insufficient [11,12,13,14]. Previous studies have recognized the need for in-depth research on entrepreneurial intention, in particular, types of entrepreneurship [16,17]. However, despite numerous studies on sustainable entrepreneurship [18], knowledge of the antecedents of entrepreneurial intention in sustainable entrepreneurship is still limited. However, this study is adding to the current discussion of the drivers of entrepreneurial intentions in the context of sustainable entrepreneurship by following other variables that are important and that mediate the variable of creativity in the Russian context. Moreover, the paper seeks to extend the existing intention models by developing and testing a framework that integrates creativity as a mediating factor.

From the findings of this research, several aspects could be discussed regarding the entrepreneurial mindset and the intention to start a sustainable business. Among the factors evaluated in this research is entrepreneurial education and how it influences the entrepreneurial mindset to start a new venture. The results of this study indicated that entrepreneur education is both important and positively influences peoples’ creativity and the intention to start a business. This implies that if people receive a formal education that trains them regarding entrepreneurship matters, their creativity is enhanced, and this increases their intention to start a sustainable business. These results concur with that of Sun et al. [32], who indicated that the entrepreneurship education process helps in developing an entrepreneurial intention. It also enables the student to plan a sustainable business idea that they believe in, are passionate about, and can see themselves working in. Further, according to Naumann [28], it helps them identify all the elements required for them to successfully launch their intended sustainable business. These include information on how to start a business, including legal requirements, developing and presenting financial information, managing human resources, and acquiring marketing strategy knowledge.

Another critical finding was related to the effects of risk-taking on creativity and the intention to start a sustainable business. The empirical findings of this research indicated that the risk-taking appetite of an individual has an influence on their creativity but not on their intention to start a sustainable business. In other words, a person with a high-risk appetite has a high level of creativity and vice versa, but this has no significant effect on entrepreneurial intention. However, contrary to this research finding, the previous research indicates some different findings. For instance, Yoopetch [34] indicated that risk-taking is an essential aspect of the entrepreneurial process. It allows a person to take action when no one else will take action for them. It is part of what makes entrepreneurs different from everyone else. In regards to creativity, these findings echo those of Shen et al. [48], who indicated that risk-taking is critical as it fosters creativity. Entrepreneurs that have a vision, have an idea, and have confidence in their idea, have the potential to make it work, and they are not afraid to act on it. Similarly, Gurel et al. [35] explain that risk-taking and entrepreneurial intention are two sides of the same coin. It involves taking a chance, thinking outside the box, and getting active in the world to produce something fresh. Finding a passion and pursuing it as a sustainable business are the goals of entrepreneurship.

Concerning innovativeness, the research indicated that entrepreneurs’ creativity and intention to start a business are significantly and positively influenced by innovativeness. It suggests that innovative entrepreneurs have the capacity to create something new (an idea or a venture) and they have the willingness and ability to start a new business. Similarly, Shin et al. [48] pointed out similar findings that innovativeness, as a trait, is associated with higher levels of selfesteem and lower levels of depression. This is associated with creativity, and it explains why entrepreneurs tend to be more open to new ideas and why they tend to have higher selfefficacy. Additionally, Oo et al. [39] supported our findings that entrepreneurial intention is also related to entrepreneurial traits such as optimism, extraversion, and conscientiousness, which may explain why entrepreneurs tend to be happier than nonentrepreneurs. Additionally, creativity was found to both positively affect entrepreneurial intention to start a new business as well as mediate the effects of risk-taking, education, and innovativeness on entrepreneurial intention. It means that, as far as the intention to start a sustainable business is concerned, creativity is a critical aspect to consider. The authors of [49,50,51] indicated that entrepreneurial passion is a moderator that shapes selfefficacy and attitudes towards entrepreneurship.

The findings of this research foster several theoretical and empirical implications and recommendations. The first contribution made by this research is that it adds to the empirical results that were presented by previous studies that investigated the entrepreneurial mindset and the effects of entrepreneurial intention to start a sustainable business. Although the majority of earlier studies used students as their subjects or respondents, this study goes above and beyond that practice. This study uses people already in business as the respondents, which, to a significant level, displays actualization and improves the reliability of the findings because the respondents are coming from the point of vast practical experience in entrepreneurship. The second contribution of the study is that it advances the understanding of the relationship between entrepreneurial intention and personality traits, including innovation, risk-taking appetite, entrepreneurial education, and creativity. The research indicated that innovativeness, entrepreneurship education, and creativity have a significant and positive influence on entrepreneurial intention in terms of starting a new venture.

This study also suggests some recommendations to policymakers and entrepreneurs. It points out the relevant aspects that should be considered to foster an entrepreneurial mindset and an entrepreneurial intention in terms of starting new business ventures. These factors are innovativeness, entrepreneurship education, and creativity. Innovation, entrepreneurship education, and creativity are all important in the development of a new sustainable business. Innovation is the process of continuously improving and developing products or services to meet customer needs. Entrepreneurship education is the teaching of the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, including marketing, finance, human resources, and leadership skills. Creativity is the ability to generate unique solutions by combining elements from various disciplines. Therefore, these aspects should be considered vital as far as entrepreneurial innovation is concerned.

5. Conclusions and Implications

The purpose of this research was geared toward investigating the aspect of an entrepreneurial mindset in terms of the intention to start a sustainable business as well as the factors influencing entrepreneurial intention. The study was conducted using primary data collected from respondents with over two years of sustainable business experience. The data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling. This research has empirically and theoretically established that entrepreneurial education is important for improving creativity and entrepreneurial intention. Entrepreneurial education facilitates the development of sustainable business ideas, as well as the obtainment of relevant knowledge in steering their business forward, such as financial statements, legal requirements, human resources, and marketing. The research also concludes that risk-taking has a significant influence on the creativity of entrepreneurs but not the intention to start a sustainable business. Innovativeness was found to be a critical aspect in terms of positively and significantly influencing both creativity and entrepreneurial intention for starting a new business. It was found that innovation is associated with higher levels of selfesteem and lower levels of depression and creativity, which explains why entrepreneurs tend to be more open to new ideas and start new ventures. Further, creativity was found to positively influence innovation intention. The major limitation of this study is that it only considered respondents that were already established in sustainable businesses. It did not consider respondents, such as students aspiring to go down the route of entrepreneurship. Therefore, future studies should consider an expanded study population of both those who are in a sustainable business and those planning to get into business, or rather, aspiring entrepreneurs, to understand some of their motivations. One of the study’s limitations was the truthfulness of the respondents. This was overcome by the screening question that ascertained the experience of the respondents in entrepreneurship. They were not made aware of the significance of the question, and this helped to ensure only respondents with the appropriate experience were analyzed.