Passion drove me here: exploring how types of entrepreneurial passion influence different entrepreneurial intentions

Despite research advancing our understanding of the role of entrepreneurial passion— positive feelings towards entrepreneurial activities—in influencing entrepreneurial intentions, research largely examines one type of passion and one type of intention. Yet, individuals might prefer engaging in some entrepreneurial activities but not others and can pursue three different entrepreneurial paths to do so (traditional, corporate, social). Hence, questions remain then as to how individuals’ passion for different entrepreneurial activities (founding, inventing, developing) may differentially influence their traditional, corporate, and social entrepreneurial intentions. Drawing on entrepreneurial passion and intentions research we theorize how different types of passion vary in the extent to which they engender different entrepreneurial intentions. We test our arguments using a sample of 231 individuals participating in a two-year entrepreneurship fellowship program in the U.S. We contribute to prior research by providing a more holistic understanding of the role of entrepreneurial passion in influencing different entrepreneurial intentions