Passionate to be a social entrepreneur in Saudi Arabia: A moderated mediation analysis of social entrepreneurial intention

Abstract This study aims to unravel the determinants of social entrepreneurial intention (SEI). Using a moderated mediation approach, we examine the direct and indirect effects of prior experience with social problems, proactive personality, and social self‐efficacy on SEI via social entrepreneurial passion for founding (SEP) as a mediator. This study is based on data collected from a survey using questionnaires completed by 283 Saudis. To analyze data and test the developed hypotheses, we used exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses followed by structural equation modeling to test the direct and indirect effects of the main variables on SEI. Our findings reveal positive relationships between prior experience with social problems and proactive personality and SEP with SEI. Surprisingly, no significant relationship was found between social self‐efficacy and SEI; its effect was indirect through SEP. Finally, gender moderated the relationship between SEP and SEI. Academic contributions and practical implications are then proposed.