International Journal of Management Research and Emerging Sciences

Vol 13, No 4, December 2024, PP. 152-168

Assessing the Influence of Attitude Toward Ecopreneurship and Subjective

Norms on Ecopreneurship Intention: Moderated Mediation of Self-Efficacy and
Entrepreneurial Resilience
Shrafat Ali Sair
Hailey College of Commerce, University of the Punjab, Pakistan.
drshrafatali@gmail.com
Aamir Sohail
Department of Commerce, Thal University Bhakkar (Ex- UOS Sub Campus Bhakkar), Pakistan.
Saeed Ahmad Sabir
Hailey College of Commerce, University of the Punjab, Pakistan
sasabir422@gmail.com

Corresponding: Aamir.sohail@tu.edu.pk
ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT
Article History: Understanding the interplay of attitudes, norms, self-efficacy, and resilience in
Received: 26 Aug, 2023 ecopreneurship intention is crucial for comprehensive insights into sustainable
Revised: 19 Sep, 2023 entrepreneurial behavior. The objectives of this research are to investigate the
Accepted: 02 Dec, 2023 influence of attitude toward ecopreneurship and subjective norms on
Available Online: 14 Dec, ecopreneurship intention with the mediating effect of self-efficacy and moderating
2023 effect of entrepreneurial resilience. Drawing upon a quantitative methodology,
researchers surveyed a sample size of 350 participants from Pakistani SMEs using
DOI: a structured questionnaire. The researchers used structural equational model to test
https://doi.org/10.56536/ijmres.v13i4.553 the hypothesis of the study. Researchers’ findings reveal several significant
outcomes. First, researchers establish that attitude toward ecopreneurship and
Keywords: subjective norms are prominent drivers of ecopreneurship intention among SME
Attitude Toward entrepreneurs in Pakistan. Second, self-efficacy emerges as a crucial mediator in
Ecopreneurship, Subjective this relationship, highlighting the pivotal role of individuals' belief in their
Norms, Self-Efficacy, capability to undertake ecopreneurial initiatives. Third, entrepreneurial resilience,
Entrepreneurial Resilience, as a moderator, adds a unique layer of complexity to the model by influencing the
Manufacturing SME’s. strength of the relationships between the variables. One notable contribution of this
research lies in its exploration of the moderated mediation framework in the
JEL Classification:
L26, L6,
context of ecopreneurship, shedding light on the nuanced mechanisms at play.
However, it is important to acknowledge the study's limitation, which is its sole
focus on the SME sector in a specific geographic context. Consequently, the
generalizability of the findings to different sectors or regions may be constrained.
© 2023 The authors, under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0.

INTRODUCTION
In a society that is currently facing the challenge of achieving both social and economic
progress, responsible utilization of natural resources, and reduction of pollution, the field of
ecopreneurship is increasingly gaining attention (Puspitasari & Hidayat, 2022). The current global
challenges encompass a wide range of complex issues that affect various aspects of society, economy,
and environment (Wu et al., 2023). These challenges are further intensified by the apparent lack of
alignment between societal well-being, economic interests, and environmental consciousness (S. W.
L. H. Setyanti, 2023). Ecopreneurship has emerged as a promising framework that effectively
addresses the three facets of these challenges (Suryaningsih & Aripin, 2022). Ecopreneurship, at its
essence, aims to promote and enable the growth of environmentally sustainable businesses (S. W. L.
H. Setyanti, 2023). In contrast to traditional business models that prioritize profit maximization
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without much regard for environmental impacts (Pasha, Kamran, Chishti, & Ali, 2022),
ecopreneurship encompasses the simultaneous goals of profitability and ecological sustainability.
The terms "eco-entrepreneurship" (sometimes spelled "ecopreneurship") and "green entrepreneurship"
(also spelled "green entrepreneurship") are used interchangeably, and their meanings are quite similar
(Belchior, 2023). The difference between entrepreneurship and ecopreneurship is that the former tries
to make money while the latter seeks to make money while also promoting environmental
sustainability (A. A. Gunawan, Essers, & van Riel, 2021). Galkina (2021) proposed the idea that
economic growth might be facilitated by the innovations that are brought about by entrepreneurial
activity. The accumulation of data in the natural environment over the course of the last several
decades has led researchers to the conclusion that economic development and the protection of the
natural world are incompatible goals (Wagle & Luitel, 2023). The depletion of biodiversity, the
escalation of pollution levels, the progression of climate change, and the deterioration of land quality
are only a few instances of this (Yarmi, Marja, Siregar, & Iasha, 2023). There is a need for
environmentally responsible business practices, often known as ecopreneurship, as a result of all these
environmental problems (Afum, Agyabeng-Mensah, Baah, Acquah, & Osei, 2023a).
There is a substantial body of data, both in industrialized and developing nations, concerning the need
to preserve the environment and to launch entrepreneurial endeavor with the goal of preserving the
deteriorating natural environment (Rahman, Sudarmiatin, & Wardana, 2023). According to Tibon
(2021) research conducted by entrepreneurship is a factor that contributes to the growth of the
economy and the creation of job opportunities. Increasing economic activity while conserving the
environment is a critical problem, especially in the context of developing nations, where the practice
of entrepreneurship is considered as a method to spark economic growth and to address severe
economic and social difficulties (Santini, 2017). The problem of how to encourage environmentally
friendly enterprises is one that will never be solved. Because of this, it is imperative that the elements
that impact the adoption of eco-entrepreneurship for future choices that are sustainable be brought to
light. In recent years, there has been a focus on the correlation between economic development and
environmentally conscious business practices (A. Gunawan & Rudito, 2023), and there is a generally
favourable attitude toward the implementation of such business practices.
The phenomenon of moderated mediation involving self-efficacy and entrepreneurial resilience is a
complex and dynamic process that has significance in the field of entrepreneurship study (Aurellia &
Nuringsih, 2023; Wu et al., 2023). The study aims to examine the relationship between self-efficacy,
which refers to an individual's confidence in their ability to accomplish desired goals, and
entrepreneurial resilience, which pertains to the ability to endure failures and adapt in challenging
situations, in order to understand their impact on different entrepreneurial outcomes. The concept of
moderation posits that external circumstances or situations have the potential to either enhance or
diminish the mediating influence of self-efficacy in the relationship between certain antecedents and
outcomes (Ghodbane & Alwehabie, 2023). Within this particular framework, understanding the
dynamic relationship between self-efficacy, entrepreneurial resilience, and factors that moderate their
influence yields significant knowledge regarding the intricate processes through which individuals
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effectively manage the obstacles of entrepreneurship, adjust to evolving conditions, and ultimately
attain their entrepreneurial objectives (Rahman et al., 2023). This notion highlights the need of taking
into account not just the immediate impacts of psychological constructs, but also their interdependent
and contingent associations within the entrepreneurial setting.
Despite the increasing acknowledgement of the importance of ecopreneurship in promoting
sustainable practises in the business realm, there exists a theoretical gap in understanding the intricate
relationship between attitudes towards ecopreneurship, subjective norms, self-efficacy,
entrepreneurial resilience, and ecopreneurship intentions, specifically within the Small and Medium-
sized Enterprise (SME) sector in Pakistan (Pasha et al., 2022; Yasir, Babar, Mehmood, Xie, & Guo,
2023). Current theoretical frameworks often concentrate on Western settings and may not fully
encompass the distinct dynamics and cultural elements that shape these connections inside a
developing country such as Pakistan. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct research that customizes
theoretical frameworks to the unique circumstances of Pakistan's small and medium-sized enterprise
(SME) sector, taking into account cultural subtleties and contextual elements that might influence
attitudes, norms, and intents related to ecopreneurship.
From a practical perspective, there is a limitation of scholarly research on the implementation of
ecopreneurial strategies and interventions specifically within the small and medium-sized enterprise
(SME) sector in Pakistan. Although there has been considerable exploration of the theoretical
foundations of ecopreneurship, there is a lack of representation in terms of translating these ideas into
practical strategies for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan. There is currently an
absence of comprehensive guidance about the effective incorporation of ecopreneurial techniques into
the operations of small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) in Pakistan. This restriction results from the
unique opportunities and problems present in the region. It is hard to overestimate how crucial it is to
close this practical gap in order to support sustainable business practices and enable the broad
acceptance of ecopreneurship concepts among Pakistan's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

LITERATURE REVIEW
According to Strydom, Meyer, and Synodinos (2021), the initiation of a new business cannot
be seen as a casual event, but rather requires thorough intention and purposeful intentions towards the
establishment of the new enterprise, aligning it with a planning-oriented behaviour. The theory of
planned behaviour (TPB) is a well-utilized framework among researchers, encompassing both social
psychology and the prediction of behavioural intentions, including those related to environmental
consciousness (Saleem, Adeel, Ali, & Hyder, 2018). TPB builds upon the theory of reasoned action
(TRA) and has attracted significant attention from scholars in various fields (W. Wang et al., 2021).
Numerous academics have used the theoretical foundations of the Theory of Planned behaviour (TPB)
in their studies on pro-environmental conduct. Several investigations included prior research or
improved on the theoretical framework proposed by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Bouarar,
Mouloudj, Makhlouf, & Mouloudj, 2022; Romero-Colmenares & Reyes-Rodríguez, 2022).

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Despite the fact that the TPB is generally helpful, a number of research have attempted to enhance the
explanatory power of this theory by including other variables inside the TPB model (Mfazi & Elliott,
2022). It is generally agreed that intentions are a crucial component to examine when attempting to
explain observed behaviour. Strong purpose to carry out a certain behaviour is the factor that
influences the likelihood of actually carrying out that behaviour (Peng, Li, Zhou, & Sadowski, 2021).
TPB is able to explain in a clear and convincing manner how good behavioural intentions translate
into real behaviour. In order to explain the green behavioural intents, the model of the theory of
planned behaviour has been used on several occasions by a great number of scholars (Saleem et al.,
2018). In the current body of research, behavioral intentions are defined and measured in a variety of
ways; nonetheless, the researchers are generally in agreement that behavioural intentions are the
preparedness or propensity to engage in a certain behaviour. It is impossible to deny that TPB-based
research has several theoretical benefits when applied to the field of entrepreneurship (Romero-
Colmenares & Reyes-Rodríguez, 2022).
The TPB model has been used on a number of occasions by several researchers on entrepreneurship
for the purpose of identifying entrepreneurial intents; nevertheless, its capacity to explain the desire to
engage in sustainable entrepreneurship has not been thoroughly investigated (Bouarar et al., 2022).
Many researches in this field have found a considerable beneficial influence of attitudes on
entrepreneurial intentions (Tshikovhi & Shambare, 2015). Attitudes are seen to be an essential driver
of new venture intentions. In a similar vein, attitudes have been demonstrated to be a predictor of
people' intentions to engage in environmentally conscious activity (Sánchez & Licciardello, 2012).
Adoption of environmentally sustainable practises is also impacted by people' attitudes, whether they
be good or negative. Subjective norms, often known as the pressures exerted on an individual by
powerful individuals, have been shown to be a predictor of long-term behavioural intentions (Mfazi
& Elliott, 2022).
In a similar vein, S. H. Setyanti and Sudarsih (2022) found that the environmental activities of business
owners are a direct outcome of the social pressures they face. Researchers in the fields of behaviorism
and psychology have come to the same conclusions regarding the various concepts that have an effect
on the processing capabilities for the purpose of completing tasks or finding solutions to problems.
They have also found a connection between self-efficacy and motivation to behavioural change
(Sancho-Domingo, Carballo, Coloma-Carmona, van der Hofstadt, & Asensio Sánchez, 2023).
Researchers have associated self-efficacy with a variety of different categories, including things like
accomplishments, emotional problems, mental and physical health, choosing a job, and more
(Maheshwari & Kha, 2022). It is important to point out that the idea of self-efficacy is also applicable
to the preservation of resources and the adoption of pro environmental behaviours, despite the fact that
research on these topics is limited (Dangis et al., 2023). Individuals are unable to make a constructive
contribution to the protection of the environment unless they have faith in the possibility of improved
environmental management (Hamann, Wullenkord, Reese, & van Zomeren, 2023).
In the present context, the notion of moderated mediation pertains to the understanding that the process
of mediation, whereby self-efficacy serves as a mediator between attitude and ecopreneurship
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intention, is dependent upon the degree of entrepreneurial resilience (Hussain et al., 2021). The
complex interaction described above has not been thoroughly examined in the small and medium-
sized enterprise (SME) sector in Pakistan. This emphasises the need for research that considers both
the mediating and moderating impacts (Q. Wang, Lee, & Hoque, 2023). The significance of
understanding the impact of attitude towards ecopreneurship, subjective norms, self-efficacy, and
entrepreneurial resilience on ecopreneurship intention is emphasized in the literature review,
specifically in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan . This study has
significant importance for policymakers, educators, and entrepreneurs who are interested in advancing
sustainable entrepreneurial practises in Pakistan and other developing nations. Subsequent
investigations should endeavour to experimentally substantiate and enhance these associations, taking
into account the distinctive cultural, economic, and environmental elements that typify the small and
medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector in Pakistan.
According to the moderated mediation model, people who have a good attitude toward ecopreneurship
are more inclined to believe in their own abilities, which in turn makes them more likely to demonstrate
greater ecopreneurial goals (Hartmann, Backmann, Newman, Brykman, & Pidduck, 2022; Mfazi &
Elliott, 2022). However, depending on a person's degree of entrepreneurial resilience, this mediation
process's strength fluctuates (Nuringsih, Maupa, & Payangan, 2023). Higher resilient people are
probably going to show a bigger self-efficacy mediation effect, which will magnify the favorable
impact of their attitudes on ecopreneurial intents (Nayak, 2022; Yi, 2021). According to multiple
researchers the concept of self-efficacy has significant effect on ecopreneurial activities of companies
(Pascucci, Cardella, Hernàndez-Sànchez, & Sànchez-Garcìa, 2022; Sargani, Zhou, Raza, & Wei,
2020). Gaining insight into the subtleties of psychological dimensions may help with the creation of
focused treatments and educational initiatives meant to improve entrepreneurial resilience and self-
efficacy (Hartmann et al., 2022; Wu et al., 2023). Through the promotion of an optimistic outlook on
ecopreneurship and the provision of support systems aimed at enhancing self-efficacy and resilience,
stakeholders have the ability to establish an atmosphere that is favorable for the development of
ecopreneurial intents in people (Mbebeb, 2012; Varbanova, 2019).
The studies conclude that there is a multifaceted framework that highlights the significance of
both internal psychological factors and external societal influences in shaping intentions toward
environmentally conscious entrepreneurship (Loon & Nordin, 2019; Nuringsih et al., 2023). This
framework is explained by the moderated mediation of self-efficacy and entrepreneurial resilience
between attitude toward ecopreneurship and subjective norms on ecopreneurial intentions. More
empirical studies examining these connections in various socio-cultural situations will deepen our
knowledge and make it easier to create customized plans to support eco-entrepreneurship throughout
the world.

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Hypothesis of the Study

H1: There is a significant effect of Attitude Toward Ecopreneurship-on-Ecopreneurship Intention
H2: There is a significant effect of Subjective Norms -on-Ecopreneurship Intention
H3: There is a significant mediating effect of self-efficacy between Attitude Toward
Ecopreneurship-on-Ecopreneurship Intention
H4: There is a significant mediating effect of self-efficacy between Subjective Norms -on-
Ecopreneurship Intention
H5: There is a significant moderating effect of entrepreneurial resilience between Attitude Toward
Ecopreneurship-on-Ecopreneurship Intention
H6: There is a significant moderating effect of entrepreneurial resilience between A Subjective
Norms -on-Ecopreneurship Intention.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The researchers used positivism philosophy and deductive approach to conduct this research
as suggested by multiple researchers (Khan, Nisar, Sohail, & Munir, 2022; Sohail, Hussain, & Abbas,
2022). This study used a quantitative technique by conducting a review of relevant past research and
administering questionnaires to the unit of analysis. According to Yousaf and Majid (2016), small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan play an important part in the growth and development
of the nation. The contribution of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to a nation's gross
domestic product (GDP) is significant, and these businesses also play a significant role in the creation
of jobs and the alleviation of poverty (Batrancea, 2022; Gherghina, Botezatu, Hosszu, & Simionescu,
2020; Olaniyan & Adepeju, 2023).
The researcher employed a probability sampling strategy in order to choose observations from the
target population as suggested by different researchers for such types of studies (Saeed, Mir, Hamid,
Ayaz, & Iyyaz, 2023; Shahid, Nauman, & Ayyaz, 2023). Empirical research typically used both
probability and nonprobability approach dependent on the characteristics of population. The
researcher used probability sampling based on the fact that the population of current study is already
known. The findings may be applied to the whole population since probability sampling guarantees
that every member of the population has an equal chance of being chosen. This strategy offers a degree
of assurance and precision in inference, which justifies its choice for this specific investigation. The
data were obtained from the 350 chosen workers of 70 manufacturing SMEs using the simple random
procedure. For the purposes of sampling, production line worker lists were collected and retrieved.
Further, sample size was determine through the reasoning presented by Bentler and Chou (1987) states
that it is required to have five replies for each parameter in order to calculate the minimal sample size.
Five research assistants were employed, given training, and supervised in order to gather data from
the seven districts that were chosen for the study.

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The Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire (EIQ), which was developed by (Parulian &
Madhakomala, 2022), was chosen to be used for the evaluation of the respondents' ecological
entrepreneurial attitudes. The concept of entrepreneurial resilience was taken from (Alshebami &
Murad, 2022). The researcher used SPSS and smart PLS SEM to analyze the collected responses. The
structural equational model was used to test the hypothesis of the study.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Reliability Analysis
The construct reliability of the reflecting structures exceeds 0.70. In addition, the values of (Rho A)
and C-A are more than the permitted limit of 0.70, as shown in Table 1. The obtained AVEs for all
constructs ranged from .500 to.568, indicating a high degree of construct reliability and convergence
of measurement models.
Table 1: Reliability Analysis
Cronbach's rho_ Composite Average Variance Extracted
Alpha A Reliability (AVE)
Attitude Toward
Ecopreneurship 0.7454 0.776 0.8382 0.568
0.775
Ecopreneurship Intention 0.7047 3 0.8039 0.5062
Entrepreneurial Resilience 0.7022 0.751 0.7859 0.5009
0.749
Self-Efficacy 0.7042 6 0.7865 0.5098
0.728
Subjective Norms 0.7016 1 0.7818 0.5051

Outer Loading
The outer loadings of each latent construct (Attitude Toward Ecopreneurship, Ecopreneurship
Intention, Entrepreneurial Resilience, Self-Efficacy, and Subjective Norms) and their corresponding
indicators or items in the context of this study indicate how strongly they are related to one another.
A greater correlation between the latent concept and its observable variables is indicated by higher
outer loadings. Notably, all four measures (ATE1, ATE2, ATE3, and ATE4) for Attitude Toward
Ecopreneurship (ATE) show high positive connections, indicating that they together do a good job of
representing the idea of attitude toward ecopreneurship. Similarly, all other constructs show the
sufficient outer loading of remaining variables.

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Tabel 2: Factor Loading

Attitude Toward Ecopreneurship Entrepreneurial Self- Subjective
Ecopreneurship Intention Resilience Efficacy Norms
ATE
1 0.5921
ATE
2 0.7767
ATE
3 0.7804
ATE
4 0.8421
EI1 0.7335
EI2 0.7017
EI3 0.6925
EI4 0.7175
IT1 0.5957
IT2 0.7342
IT3 0.769
Mh5 0.6621
SE1 0.6911
SE2 0.6657
SE3 0.6711
SE4 0.7403
SN1 0.7256
SN2 0.6942
SN3 0.6723
SN4 0.7012
SN5 0.4163

The examination of Discriminant Validity utilizing the Heterotrait-Monotrait Ratio of Correlations

(HTMT) method for the variables Attitude Towards Ecopreneurship, Ecopreneurship Intention,
Entrepreneurial Resilience, Self-Efficacy, and Subjective Norms provides valuable insights into the
interactions among these constructs (Cheung, Cooper-Thomas, Lau, & Wang, 2023). The findings of
table 3 demonstrate adequate discriminant validity, since the inter-construct correlations are
significantly below the required level of 0.85. Specifically, the concept of Attitude Towards
Ecopreneurship has comparatively weaker connections with other constructs, hence providing
evidence for its differentiation from Ecopreneurship Intention, Entrepreneurial Resilience, Self-
Efficacy, and Subjective Norms. This finding supports the distinct conceptualization of each construct
and provides a rationale for their particular significance within the context of ecopreneurial intention
and behaviour.

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Table 3: Discriminant Validity_HTMT

Attitude Toward Ecopreneurship Entrepreneurial Self-
Ecopreneurship Intention Resilience Efficacy

Attitude Toward Ecopreneurship

Ecopreneurship
Intention 0.3262
Entrepreneurial
Resilience 0.7799 0.3489

Self-Efficacy 0.2921 0.492 0.3432

Subjective Norms 0.4159 0.4385 0.4444 0.7016

Figure 1: Reliability Analysis

Structural Model
The table presents a thorough summary of the direct, mediating, and moderating effects as they pertain
to the structural equation model used in the research. Regarding the immediate impacts, it is evident
that there exists a noteworthy positive association between Attitude Towards Ecopreneurship and
Ecopreneurship Intention (β = 0.1211, p = 0.0011), as well as Self-Efficacy (β = 0.103, p = 0.0303).
The study found that there is a positive relationship between Entrepreneurial Resilience and
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Ecopreneurship Intention (β = 0.1171, p = 0.0052). Additionally, Self-Efficacy was shown to have a

very significant positive effect on Ecopreneurship Intention (β = 0.1956, p < 0.0001). Nevertheless,
the greatest significant direct impact is shown to exist between Subjective Norms and Ecopreneurship
Intention (1.0285, p < 0.0001), suggesting a robust and favourable relationship.
Within the framework of this research, the outer loadings pertain to the magnitude of the association
between each latent construct (namely, Attitude Towards Ecopreneurship, Ecopreneurship Intention,
Entrepreneurial Resilience, Self-Efficacy, and Subjective Norms) and the corresponding indicators or
items. Greater outer loadings suggest a more robust relationship between the latent concept and its
manifest components. It is worth noting that all four components (ATE1, ATE2, ATE3, and ATE4)
have significant positive correlations with Attitude Towards Ecopreneurship (ATE), indicating that
they effectively capture the essence of the attitude towards ecopreneurship construct.
Table 4: Testing of Hypothesis
Original Sample T Statistics P
(O) (|O/STDEV|) Values

Direct Effect
Attitude Toward Ecopreneurship -> Ecopreneurship Intention 0.1211 4.5343 0.0011

Attitude Toward Ecopreneurship -> Self-Efficacy 0.103 2.5207 0.0303

Entrepreneurial Resilience -> Ecopreneurship Intention 0.1171 3.5573 0.0052

Self-Efficacy -> Ecopreneurship Intention 0.1956 12.7424 0.000

Subjective Norms -> Ecopreneurship Intention 1.0285 211.9775 0.000

Mediating Effect
Attitude Toward Ecopreneurship -> Self-Efficacy -> 0.2098 2.5356 0.0296
Ecopreneurship Intention
Subjective Norms -> Self-Efficacy -> Ecopreneurship Intention 0.3750 7.4868 0.000

Moderating Effect

Moderating effect 1 (ATE>ER -> Ecopreneurship Intention 0.0138 4.2767 0.0016

Moderating effect 2 (ATE>SN -> Ecopreneurship Intention 0.0143 3.943 0.0028

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Figure 2: Structural Equational.

Discussion
In this work, we proposed and evaluated a model based on an enhanced version of Ajzen's theory of
planned behaviour, which was designed expressly for the purpose of understanding ecopreneurship
intents by integrating the moderating function that collectivism plays in the process. The significance
of the association between attitudes and ecopreneurship aspirations is the most notable conclusion of
the current research. The results of the present investigation are consistent with the findings of other
studies (Galkina, 2021; A. Gunawan & Rudito, 2023; A. A. Gunawan, Bloemer, van Riel, & Essers,
2022). Further, the second findings indicated that significant positive relationship between SN and EI
highlights the important role of social norms and perceived societal support in influencing
ecopreneurship intentions. When individuals perceive that others view ecopreneurship positively, they
are more likely to engage in such activities themselves. The results of the present investigation are
consistent with the findings of other studies (Peng et al., 2021; Puspitasari & Hidayat, 2022; Saleem
et al., 2018).

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The self-efficacy concept, sometimes known as having control over one's behaviour, is the subject of
the third significant result. People with low self-efficacy are more likely to give up at earlier stages,
which can hinder the sustainable development of any business. Self-efficacy is crucial for inspiring
individuals to engage in ecopreneurship since there is a possibility of negative outcomes at the
beginning of any firm. The mediating role of self-efficacy between observed variables are found
significant. The conclusions of this investigation are consistent with the findings of earlier studies
(Strydom et al., 2021; Suryaningsih & Aripin, 2022). In conclusion, the research showed that there is
a substantial moderating link between entrepreneurship resilience between observed variables. The
conclusions of this investigation are consistent with the findings of earlier studies (A. A. Gunawan et
al., 2021).

CONCLUSION AND POLICY IMPLICATION

Conclusion
The study's conclusions show a strong correlation between SME entrepreneurs in Pakistan's
intentions to engage in ecopreneurial activities and their attitudes towards ecopreneurship and
subjective standards. Additionally, the concept of entrepreneurial resilience serves as a moderating
factor, enhancing our comprehension of the associations between variables by impacting the intensity
of these connections and introducing intricacy to the theoretical framework. One significant aspect of
this study is its examination of the moderated mediation framework, providing insights into the
complex dynamics involved in the field of ecopreneurship. This research highlights the importance of
promoting positive attitudes, improving self-efficacy, and developing entrepreneurial resilience as
crucial factors in encouraging intentions towards ecopreneurship. This, in turn, contributes to the
progress of sustainable business practises within Pakistan's small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
sector.
Theoretical and practical Implications
The practical significance of this research resides in its ability to provide valuable insights for the
development of policies and interventions that promote ecopreneurship (Ikegwuonu, 2023). Through
the identification of significant characteristics such as attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy, and
entrepreneurial resilience, the study has the potential to provide valuable guidance for the development
of specialized training programs or educational initiatives (Afum, Agyabeng-Mensah, Baah, Acquah,
& Osei, 2023b). It is possible to design practical techniques that specifically target the enhancement
of self-efficacy and resilience among individuals desiring to become ecopreneurs. These tactics have
the potential to strengthen their intents to actively participate in entrepreneurial activities that prioritize
environmental sustainability.
This work contributes to the current body of knowledge by introducing a moderated mediation model
that examines the complex interconnections among these variables from a theoretical perspective. This
study contributes to the existing body of research on entrepreneurship and environmental psychology
by demonstrating the interconnectedness of personal beliefs, societal forces, and adaptive capabilities
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in shaping ecopreneurial aspirations. The examination of moderated mediation provides insight into
the intricacies of these relationships, providing a more holistic comprehension of the factors
influencing the establishment of ecopreneurship intentions. The aforementioned theoretical
framework has the potential to serve as a source of inspiration for future research attempts that aim to
investigate analogous intricate interactions in other situations that extend beyond the realm of
ecopreneurship.
Limitations and Future Research Recommendations
It is crucial to recognize the limitations of the research, particularly its limited scope that only
concentrates on the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector inside a certain geographical
area. Therefore, the applicability of these results to other industries or geographies may be constrained.
Future research endeavours may seek to investigate the application of these correlations in other
situations, so possibly generating more insights on strategies to foster sustainable entrepreneurship on
a global scale.

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