The Effect of Technology Entrepreneurial Capabilities on Technopreneurial Intention of Nascent Graduates

Abstract

Owing to the turbulence of entrepreneurial environment in recent years, the need to examine how technology entrepreneurship capabilities affect nascent graduate mindset toward creating new technology-based organizations is topical. Despite the fact that technological capabilities, relational capabilities, financial capabilities, and knowledge-sharing capabilities are central drivers of technology entrepreneurship, explicit gaps exist in the literature concerning their impact on technopreneurship intention. Thus, the aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between technology entrepreneurial capabilities and technopreneurship intention. A cross-sectional study was conducted with seven hypotheses in order to investigate the mediating role of knowledge sharing capabilities on the relationships between technology entrepreneurship capabilities (technological, relational, and financing) and technopreneurship intention. The hypotheses are tested based on data collected from 121 nascent graduates in Nigeria using multiple regression.  Based on the output of the results, the study suggests direct and full mediating role of knowledge-sharing capabilities on technology entrepreneurship capabilities and technopreneurship intention. Thus, knowledge-sharing capabilities mediates the relation between technological capabilities and technopreneurship intention, as well as financial capabilities and technopreneurship intention. However, it mediation effects on relational capabilities and technopreneurship intention was not found. The findings indicate that technology entrepreneurship capabilities (technological, relational, and financial capabilities) influence technopreneurship intention through knowledge-sharing capabilities. From the theoretical perspective, the study extends the dynamic capabilities theory into technology entrepreneurship research.  This study has manifold implication to policy makers and nascent graduate seeking career in technology-based firms.

Keywords: Knowledge-sharing capabilities, technological capabilities, relational capabilities, financial capabilities, technopreneurship intention, nascent graduate.