Purpose – The topic of entrepreneurial intention, which refers to a person’s degree of interest in creating a new business venture, has received close scrutiny in the entrepreneurship literature. The empirical results regarding the relation between emotional intelligence (EI) and entrepreneurial intention were nevertheless mixed across studies. Based on fit theory and trait activation theory, the purpose of this study is to explain the fundamental reason for the mixed findings in the extant literature thus far.
Design/methodology/approach – Random-effects meta-analyses, based on 12 studies (along with 12 effect sizes), were performed to not only investigate the overall relation between EI and entrepreneurial intention but also to examine the moderators (i.e., individualism [versus collectivism], masculinity [versus femininity], power distance, long-term orientation (versus short-term orientation), uncertainty avoidance, and indulgence [versus restraint]) that influence this relation.
Findings – The results of this meta-analysis demonstrated that (1) EI is positively related to entrepreneurial intention; (2) the positive relationship between EI and entrepreneurial intention is stronger in long-term oriented cultures; and (3) the positive relationship between EI and entrepreneurial intention does not significantly differ based on a culture’s level of collectivism, masculinity, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and indulgence.
Originality/value – This meta-analysis advances the current understanding of the relation between EI and entrepreneurial intention from cross-cultural perspectives.
