Studying the Role of Emotional Intelligence in Developing Entrepreneurial Intentions of Agricultural Students (Case Study: Bu-Ali Sina, Razi, Kordestan and Lorestan Universities)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of emotional intelligence in developing entrepreneurial intentions. The Theory of Planned Behavior provides a relevant conceptual and methodological framework for determining how emotional intelligence influences the entrepreneurial intentions of students. Therefore, emotional intelligence was incorporated into the Theory of Planned Behavior. The statistical population of this research consisted of 1450 senior agricultural students at four public universities in the west of Iran (N=1450). According to a table developed by Bartlett et al., a sample of 300 students was chosen through random stratified sampling method. Data was collected using a questionnaire by survey. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of experts and its reliability was determined using Cronbach's Alpha test ( 14"> =0.74-0.80). The results of structural equation modeling indicate that emotional intelligence positively relates to attitudes toward entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control. The results also showed that the attitudes toward entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control mediate the relationships between emotional intelligence and the intention to become an entrepreneur. The research findings can contribute in the entrepreneurship literature and have implications for design and delivery of entrepreneurship education programs.