Green Entrepreneurship in Pakistan: Testing a Multi-Mediator Model of Policy Support and Behavioral Outcomes

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of digital competency on entrepreneurial behavior, emphasizing the mediating roles of entrepreneurial alertness, motivation, and intention. As digital technologies reshape the global business landscape, digital skills have emerged as vital assets for aspiring entrepreneurs. Drawing on established theoretical frameworks—such as the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Resource-Based View (RBV), and Self-Determination Theory (SDT)—the study develops and tests a serial mediation model linking digital competency to entrepreneurial action.

A quantitative research design was employed, with data collected from 450 university students in Gujranwala, Pakistan. Using validated scales and structural equation modeling, the study found that digital competency significantly predicts entrepreneurial behavior both directly and indirectly. Key mediators—entrepreneurial alertness, motivation, and intention—were found to sequentially translate digital skills into entrepreneurial action. Notably, entrepreneurial intention exhibited the strongest mediating effect, highlighting its role as a critical link between digital capability and entrepreneurial outcomes. All direct and indirect hypotheses were supported, confirming the theoretical model. The findings underscore the cognitive-affective mechanisms through which digital competency fosters entrepreneurial behavior. Practically, the study offers valuable implications for educators, policymakers, and entrepreneurship support programs by advocating for digital skill development as a pathway to enhancing entrepreneurial engagement. This research contributes to digital entrepreneurship literature by integrating psychological mediators into the digital competency-behavior relationship and provides a foundation for future studies to explore cultural and contextual variations in digitally driven entrepreneurship.