Purpose Entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is widely recognised as an important driver of economic development, yet its role in agricultural contexts – particularly in relation to policy-relevant behavioural responses – remains underexplored. This study seeks to address this gap by providing new empirical evidence on how farmers' EO is conceptualised and how it shapes income-generating strategy intentions (IGSIs) under conditions of uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach The study draws on survey data from 497 farm households in the rural Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is employed to conceptualise EO, while probit regression models are used to estimate the impact of EO on farmers' IGSIs under alternative income-loss scenarios. Findings The results indicate that EO may be represented as either a unidimensional or a multidimensional construct; however, the unidimensional specification provides the best empirical fit in this context. Regression estimates further show that EO exerts a consistently positive and statistically significant effect on farmers' IGSIs across different income-loss scenarios. Research limitations/implications A limitation of this study is the use of a single-method approach. Incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods in future research could offer a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing farmers' livelihood diversification, including knowledge acquisition, policy context, and access to markets and infrastructure. Originality/value This study contributes to the entrepreneurship and development economics literature by validating a context-appropriate EO construct for smallholder farmers and by examining the role of EO in shaping forward-looking IG, rather than realised diversification outcomes. By focusing on intentions under climate-related uncertainty, the study offers policy-relevant insights into how EO may support adaptive capacity in rural, climate-vulnerable regions.
Khoa Anh Trinh (2026) studied this question.