Stepping ahead, entrepreneurial competencies in the transition from intention to action

Abstract

Orientation: Entrepreneurial intention is widely researched, yet less is known about how young people convert entrepreneurial intention into action in developing-country contexts.
Research purpose: Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Rubicon and action-phase perspective, this study explores how entrepreneurial competencies shape the transition from intention to action.
Motivation for the study: Entrepreneurship training can stimulate intention, but intention alone does not explain why some individuals act, others delay and others exit or revert to intention. This study, therefore, examines how competencies developed through training and lived entrepreneurial exposure shape the post-intention transition.
Research design, approach and method: A qualitative study was conducted with 25 South African youth who had participated in entrepreneurship training. Semi-structured interviews were analysed through a hybrid thematic approach using TPB sensitising concepts and inductive theme development.
Main findings: Four competencies shaped transition: (1) entrepreneurial mindset, (2) connectedness, (3) psychosocial resilience and (4) entrepreneurial agency. Mindset and connectedness supported opportunity recognition and mobilisation, while resilience and agency became critical when fear, social pressure, uncertainty and institutional constraints emerged. The study identifies entrepreneurial thrill as energising excitement towards action and entrepreneurial dipping as loss of confidence, motivation or momentum.
Practical/managerial implications: Entrepreneurship programmes should support post-intention transition by mapping competencies to phase-specific challenges.
Contribution/value-add: The study theorises the intention-action transition as a competence-emotion process producing full venture enactment, partial engagement, exit or reversion to intention.