Beyond Creativity: A Filtered Entrepreneurial Intent Model—New Evidence, Confirmations, and Paradoxes Among Students

This study examines the determinants of entrepreneurial intention among students from a Romanian economics faculty. Based on the empirical findings, the paper proposes a Filtered Entrepreneurial Intent Model. Although the traditional literature supports a linear relationship between creativity and intention, the regression analysis in this research identifies a series of psychological paradoxes and barriers. The methodology combines exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to build psychological dimensions with binomial logistic regression to test hypotheses on a sample of 237 students. The empirical results directly demonstrate that self-efficacy and resilience are positive predictors, while counterintuitive negative correlations are found for proactivity and innovation. A key statistical finding is that financial risk-taking acts as a significant moderator: innovation acts as a catalyst for intent only when a student’s risk tolerance threshold is exceeded. Data also show a significant impact of inherited windfall capital, which serves as a structural factor surpassing personality traits. Conceptually, the study interprets these findings by proposing that the intention-behaviour gap is governed by a filtration process. The study concludes by offering practical recommendations for academic decision-makers to recalibrate programmes beyond merely stimulating creativity, addressing the psychological and structural filters identified.