Psychological predictors of entrepreneurial leadership among students

The article presents the findings of an empirical study investigating the psychological predictors of entrepreneurial leadership among university students (N = 319). The aim of this research is to analyze the correlational structure of personality traits- specifically leadership abilities, risk-taking propensity, stress resistance parameters, and locus of control- in students with entrepreneurial intentions to develop a conceptual model of entrepreneurial leadership predictors. The study was conducted using theoretical analysis and the following instruments: the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Subjective Control Level (SCL) measure, the Leadership Abilities Diagnostic technique, and A. Schubert’s Risk Readiness Questionnaire (RSK). Using Spearman’s rank correlation analysis, it was established that the core of   entrepreneurial potential is formed through a synergy of leadership abilities, readiness to take risks (r = 0. 238; p < 0.01), and mechanisms of active stress management (r = 0. 162; p < 0.01). A negative correlation was identified between psychological strain (overstrain) and leadership potential (r = -0.113; p < 0.05), highlighting the critical role of psychological adaptation. The study further determined that while the subjective locus of control forms a coherent cognitive system, it functions as a background factor rather than a direct driver of entrepreneurship in the current socio-economic context (Generation Z). The data obtained allow for the construction of a three-component model of entrepreneurial leadership, comprising a leadership core, a stress adaptation block, and a system of subjective control.

1. Renko M., Tarabishy A., Carsrud A.L., Brännback M. Understanding and measuring entrepreneurial leadership // Journal of Small Business Management. 2015. Vol. 53. No. 1. P. 54–74. DOI: 10.1111/jsbm.12086

2. Wales W.J., Gupta V.K., Mousa F.T. Empirical research on entrepreneurial orientation: An assessment and suggestions for future research // International Small Business Journal. 2013. Vol. 31. No. 4. P. 357–383

3. Mendez J., Barreto K., Chavarria A., Machuca K., Guerrero J. Exploring entrepreneurial intentions in Latin American university students // International Journal of Psychological Research. 2017. Vol. 10. No. 2. P. 46–59.

4. Lumpkin G.T., Dess G.G. The role of entrepreneurial orientation in stimulating effective corporate entrepreneurship // Academy of Management Executive. 2005. Vol. 19. No. 1. P. 147–156. DOI: 10.5465/AME.2005.15841975

5. Lazarus R.S. Progress on a cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotion // American Psychologist. 1991. Vol. 46. No. 8. P. 819–834. DOI: 10.1037/0003-066X.46.8.819

6. Maddi S.R. The story of hardiness: Twenty years of theorizing, research, and practice // Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research. 2002. Vol. 54. No. 3. P. 173–185. DOI: 10.1037/1061-4087.54.3.173

7. Rotter J.B. Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement // Psychological Monographs: General and Applied. 1966. Vol. 80. No. 1. P. 1–28.

8. Cardon M.S., Gregoire D.A., Stevens C.E., Patel P.C. Measuring entrepreneurial passion: Conceptual foundations and scale validation // Journal of Business Venturing. 2013. Vol. 28. No. 3. P. 373–396. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2012.03.003

9. David S. Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life. New York: Avery/Penguin Random House, 2016. 254 р.

10. Kirzner I.M. Competition and Entrepreneurship. Urbana-Champaign: Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1973. URL: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1496174

11. Tang J., Kacmar K.M., Busenitz L. Entrepreneurial alertness in the pursuit of new opportunities // Journal of Business Venturing. 2012. Vol. 27. No. 1. P. 77–94. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2010.07.001

12. 12 Hisrich R.D., Peters M.P. Entrepreneurship. 5th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2004. 352 р.

13. Uzoma H.O., Dumebi E.E. Managing the entrepreneurial stress of young entrepreneurs: The roles of family support, family cohesion, and locus of control // NDA Journal of Management Sciences Research. 2025. Vol. 5. No. 1. P. 76–85. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.16900887

14. Baron R.A. The role of affect in the entrepreneurial process // Academy of Management Review. 2008. Vol. 33. No. 2. P. 328–340. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20159400

15. Shepherd D.A., Seyb S., Souitaris V. On the edge of destruction: An impaired-regulation model of destructive entrepreneurial action // Journal of Management. 2024. Vol. 50. No. 2. P. 722–751. DOI: 10.1177/01492063221126710

16. Tentama F., Abdussalam F. Internal locus of control and entrepreneurial intention: A study on vocational high school students // Journal of Education and Learning. 2020. Vol. 14. No. 1. P. 97–102. DOI: 10.11591/edulearn.v14i1.13999

17. Hussain N., Baoming L. Entrepreneurial leadership and entrepreneurial success: The role of knowledge management processes and knowledge entrepreneurship // Frontiers in Psychology. 2022. Vol. 13. P. 1–18. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.829959

18. Hoedemakers J., Vanderstukken A., Stoffers J. The influence of leadership on employees’ employability: A bibliometric analysis, systematic literature review, and research agenda // Frontiers in Psychology. 2023. Vol. 14. Art. 1092865. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1092865