How do entrepreneurial traits affect green entrepreneurial performance? A Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA)

Abstract

Green entrepreneurship has emerged as a critical research area, yet existing studies predominantly focus on the isolated impact of individual entrepreneurial traits on performance, overlooking the complex interplay of multiple factors, especially within specialized industry contexts. This study addresses this gap by employing fsQCA to investigate the configurational effects of entrepreneurial traits on the green entrepreneurial performance of technology startups operating in the engineering sectors. The analysis reveals four key findings. First, diverse configurations of entrepreneurial traits generate multiple pathways to achieve green entrepreneurial performance, highlighting the importance of considering trait combinations rather than individual attributes. Second, social capital, prior engineering experience, and green innovativeness emerge as pivotal factors; social capital is present in five performance configurations, playing a central role in high-performance outcomes, while prior experience and green innovativeness feature in four configurations. Third, startups can attain strong green performance by leveraging substantial social capital, rich prior experience, and proactive green innovativeness, even with relatively moderate psychological traits. Fourth, a high degree of green innovativeness significantly enhances performance, underscoring its value in driving technological advancements within the engineering green entrepreneurship space. This research uncovers the synergistic mechanisms through which entrepreneurial traits influence green entrepreneurial performance in engineering startups, offering actionable insights for enhancing competitiveness, driving sustainable development, and informing strategic decision-making in the engineering management domain.