Comparing the effect of students’ self-creativity on entrepreneurial intentions in two countries: a mediated model through Theory of Planned Behavior

Entrepreneurial intention (EI) has been widely examined within the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB); however, limited attention has been paid to how everyday self-creativity operates and how the national context moderates these relationships. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between tourism students’ perceptions of self-creativity and their entrepreneurial intention in higher education in Türkiye and Kyrgyzstan. The antecedents of EI were analyzed using a mediation model, while country differences were tested through multi-group analysis. Data were collected from 285 tourism students and analyzed using PLS-SEM. The findings reveal that personal attitudes toward entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control significantly predict entrepreneurial intention. Everyday interpersonal creativity has a positive and significant effect on EI. Everyday interpersonal creativity positively affects entrepreneurial intention among students in Kyrgyzstan, whereas everyday intrapersonal creativity is a significant predictor only for students in Türkiye. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating cultural moderation into intention-based entrepreneurship models.