The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Entrepreneurial Orientation: A Study of College Students in Punjab

Entrepreneurship is assuming huge significance in the current economic situation. Entrepreneurs being Job providers rather than Job seekers not only increase the scope and opportunities for youth in an economy but also reduce unemployment and raise the standard of living of people in the economy. Entrepreneurial Orientation is a set of psychological traits, attitudes and attributes that are strongly associated with a motivation to engage in entrepreneurial activities. Entrepreneurial orientation is essential for creating entrepreneurs and thus is an important component of Entrepreneurship. In this research an attempt is being made to understand the role of Emotional intelligence on entrepreneurial orientations of college students of Punjab. Emotional Intelligence is a vital personality trait which refers to one’s ability to be aware of one’s own feelings and feelings of others, to differentiate among them, and use the information to guide ones thinking and behavior. The study attempts to examine the extent of influence exerted by Emotional intelligence upon Entrepreneurial intentions of college students of selected colleges in Punjab. Stratified Sampling technique is used to draw a sample of 488 college students. The results indicate that Emotional Intelligence predicts all the seven dimensions of Entrepreneurial Orientation significantly.