Turning social concerns into entrepreneurial intentions: unpacking the role of social entrepreneurship in emerging economies

Purpose This study examines how social entrepreneurship influences social entrepreneurial intentions among university students in a developing economy. It explores the sequential mediating roles of entrepreneurial attitude and entrepreneurial motivation, as well as the moderating effect of perceived barriers to social entrepreneurship on the relationship between social entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial attitude. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 397 Egyptian university students and analyzed using structural equation modeling to test the proposed mediation and moderation hypotheses. Findings The results reveal that social entrepreneurship has both direct and indirect positive effects on social entrepreneurial intentions through entrepreneurial attitude and entrepreneurial motivation. However, perceived barriers to social entrepreneurship negatively moderates the relationship between social entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial attitude, suggesting that higher perceived barriers reduce the positive influence of social entrepreneurship on entrepreneurial attitudes. Practical implications The findings propose that educational institutes (universities) and support firms are suggested to enhance experiential social entrepreneurship education (e.g. incubator access, mentoring and projects), while decreasing perceived barriers by institutional support, resource access and targeted guidance. Policymakers can further improve social entrepreneurial intentions by creating conditions that reduce resource and administrative constraints on student-led social businesses. Originality/value This study advances understanding of the cognitive and motivational mechanisms linking social entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurial intentions within a developing-country context.