How the awareness about environmental problems affects environmental entrepreneurial intent
Environmental degradation is rising on a global level, and so is the need for environmental action. It is widely agreed in the extant literature that entrepreneurship can play a crucial role in the ecological transition, however, surprisingly little research has investigated factors that increase the intent to start an environmental venture. In building on the literatures of environmental entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial intent, we analyze how the mostly neglected factor of the awareness of environmental problems influences environmental entrepreneurial intent. In an experimental online study with 490 participants, we manipulate different forms of awareness of an environmental problem and measure environmental entrepreneurial intent. We find that an increase in public awareness of the environmental problem significantly increases environmental entrepreneurial intent, while an increase in personal awareness of the environmental problem does not have a significant effect. Our insights contribute to specifying a model of entrepreneurial intent for environmental entrepreneurship.