Decoding the Mechanisms of Green Entrepreneurial Intention: An Integration of the Theory of Planned Behavior and Self-Efficacy

Green entrepreneurship connects venture creation with environmental problem solving; however, the institutional and psychological mechanisms shaping students' intentions remain complex. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Social Cognitive Theory, this study develops and tests an integrated model examining how perceived university entrepreneurial support relates to green entrepreneurial intentions (GEI) through personal attitudes toward green entrepreneurship, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy, alongside the moderating role of family support. Utilizing a sample of 453 valid responses from university students in Ho Chi Minh City, the hypotheses were empirically tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with 5,000 bootstrap resamples. The results demonstrate that university support is positively associated with attitudes toward green entrepreneurship, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy exhibited the strongest association with GEI (β = .401), followed by subjective norms (β = .358), perceived behavioral control (β = .203), and attitudes (β = .112). Entrepreneurial self-efficacy (β = .155), subjective norms (β = .109), and perceived behavioral control (β = .045) showed significant indirect associations. Family support positively moderated the self-efficacy and GEI relationship (β = .081, p = .031). The model explained 55.5% of the variance in intention. These findings clarify how institutional support and family resources work together to foster students’ green entrepreneurial intentions, with practical implications for universities to design programs that combine capability development with access to resources.