Green Entrepreneurial Intentions among University Students in Sri Lanka: The Role of Spiritual Intelligence, Self-Efficacy, and Gender

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-676-0_7How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Spiritual intelligence; Entrepreneurial self-efficacy; Green entrepreneurial intentions; Gender; Emerging economies; Sri Lanka

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of spiritual intelligence (SI) on green entrepreneurial intentions (GEI), focusing on the mediating role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) and the moderating role of gender among final-year business students in Sri Lanka. Anchored in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the research advances theoretical understanding by connecting spirituality, competence, and sustainability in the entrepreneurship domain. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 377 final-year business students across three leading Sri Lankan universities listed in the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2023. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed for analysis. SI had a significant positive effect on ESE, which strongly predicted GEI. However, the direct effect of SI on GEI was non-significant, indicating an indirect-only mediation pattern, whereby the association between SI and GEI operates through ESE. This counterintuitive finding emphasizes that spirituality alone does not appear to translate into GEI unless it is channelled through perceived entrepreneurial competence. Gender was not found to moderate the tested relationships. These findings highlight the centrality of ESE in converting spiritually grounded values into actionable entrepreneurial pathways. Universities can promote sustainability-driven entrepreneurship by embedding SI and ESE development into curriculum design. This may include initiatives such as mindfulness-based entrepreneurship workshops, sustainability boot camps, and structured mentorship programmes. Within higher education contexts, a framework that integrates reflective practice with entrepreneurial skill-building can assist administrators in embedding these approaches systematically within entrepreneurship education. This research extends the study of GEI by integrating SI, ESE, and gender within an emerging economy context. By applying SDT, it demonstrates how intrinsic motivation and perceived competence jointly shape sustainability-oriented entrepreneurship. The novel finding that SI influences GEI only through ESE contributes to theoretical advancement while addressing the underrepresentation of GEI research in South Asia. The study further offers actionable guidance for universities seeking to support the development of psychological resources underpinning environmentally responsible entrepreneurship.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - A. A. Bhasuri Bhagyani
AU  - M. P. N. Janadari
AU  - Nilusha Gallage
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/15
TI  - Green Entrepreneurial Intentions among University Students in Sri Lanka: The Role of Spiritual Intelligence, Self-Efficacy, and Gender
BT  - Proceedings of the 13th International Youth Conference in the series of “Youth for India @2047, AI Disruption and Opportunities: Preparing Youth for Global Challenges (IYC 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 92
EP  - 115
SN  - 1951-6851
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-676-0_7
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-676-0_7
ID  - Bhagyani2026
ER  -