SMS Journal of Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Entrepreneurial Potential and Higher Education Institutions: A Systematic Literature Review

Rajkiran Prabhakar, Associate Professor, Amit Singh, Research Scholar — Mon, 18 May 2026 08:55:50 +0000

It is a systematic literature review of 32 scholarly articles published between 1971 to 2025 exploring the
entrepreneurs' potential in the institutions of higher education. Entrepreneur's potential defines as
psychological, cognitive, attitudinal and behavioural potentials of a person for venture creation. Theoretical
background, antecedents, and behavioural outcomes were located and retrieved from the Scopus database
for this review. The PRISMA was used in the selection and screening. There are five theoretical frameworks
used to operationalize the entrepreneurial potential. These are personal entrepreneurial competencies and
psychological trait-based approaches, the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), self-efficacy, and systems of
contextual support. It has been evinced that entrepreneurship education produces mixed effects. Moderating
factors prove to be cultural context, gender, mechanisms of institutional support and the design of pedagogy.
There is a substantial disparity in measured entrepreneurial potential. This disparity arises when intention
and attitudinal proxies are used. It appears when comparing these proxies with observed entrepreneurial
behavior. Since the research is mostly from one region, the findings might not hold elsewhere. Many of these
studies are located in Europe and other developed economies. The review cites longitudinal
potential-to-behavior conversion as a research priority. The focus is on the growth of entrepreneurial
capacity among students. The context is specifically within the university setting.

Entrepreneurship Development Model for the Backward Economies: Nigeria in Focus. A Hypothetico-Deductive Approach

Muhammad Baffa Sani — Mon, 18 May 2026 09:11:26 +0000

Economic backwardness relates to poor entrepreneurship development (ED). Thus, this study develops
model framework for ED specifically, to economically backward nations, like Nigeria. The study adopts
hypothetico-deductive approach. It is found out that ED is never accidental and for attainment, it requires
distinct composite efforts of government institution and individual citizens. Weakness of one renders the
quest for ED futile. The government effort necessary for ED involves uncompromising security adequacy,
infrastructural development, equitable opportunity distribution and impartial legal system. On the part of
individual citizens, knowledge and character are inevitable. Therefore, the study recommends government
at all costs to provide adequate security for people’s lives and properties; revive the KEY infrastructural
sector like education, transport systems and electricity, through proper budget and monitoring; foster
distributive justice by enhancement of opportunity sets, reduction of barriers to equalities via the redesign of
redistribution mechanisms for increased opportunity equality, like the promotion of inclusive policy and
impartial legal system. On the part of the individual citizens, they should aspire to develop the competencies
and attitudes essential for ED, through knowledge acquisition and character building, respectively.
Knowledge can be acquired and character built through constant readings, observations, listening, asking
and sharing (ROLAS).

A Study on Attitude of Graduating Students Towards Entrepreneurship With Special Reference to Dharmadam Panchayat, Kannur District, Kerala

Divya Karikkan, Assistant Professor, Nikhitha, Postgraduate Student — Mon, 18 May 2026 09:18:07 +0000

Entrepreneurship has occurred as an imperative driver of economic growth, innovation, and employment
generation across the world. In developing economies like India, the promotion of entrepreneurship among
educated youth has become a critical strategy for addressing graduate unemployment and fostering
sustainable economic development. Universities and places that make policies are now forfeiting a aiding of
consideration to teaching people how to start their businesses and helping them with that. They want people
who finish college to generate occupations for others in its place of just looking for a job. In Kerala, where
high literacy and educational attainment coexist with relatively limited formal employment opportunities,
entrepreneurship offers a promising alternative career pathway.
This study examines the attitudes of graduating students toward entrepreneurship with special reference to
Dharmadam Panchayat in Kannur District, Kerala. The study aims to grasp students’ views on
entrepreneurship, their knowledge of government programs, their self-assurance in entrepreneurial
abilities, and the complications that preclude them from launching new businesses. The research utilizes
primary data gathered from 50 undergraduate and postgraduate students via a structured questionnaire
employing simple random sampling. Descriptive statistical methods were utilized to examine the responses.
The research says that schools and colleges need to do more to help students who want to start their business.
This means learning them roughly in what way to start a business giving those people to talk to who can give
them advice and telling them more about the programs the government has to help new businesses. If we do
these things more people who finish school will want to start their business and it will help Kerala have more
new and exciting businesses, which is what we need for a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem, in Kerala.

Women Entrepreneurs in the Growing Indian Startup Ecosystem: Drivers, Support Systems, and Challenges

Mon, 18 May 2026 09:27:36 +0000

The emergence of women entrepreneurs in India is a turning point in the economic situation in the country.
The growing number of women engaging in the world of entrepreneurship is not only a measure of socio-
economic development but also a source of innovativeness and inclusive economic development in India.
This paper examines women entrepreneurs in the Indian startup ecosystem using an exclusively secondary
data–based approach. Drawing on academic literature, government and institutional reports, and ecosystem
studies published mainly after 2015, The findings reveal that women’s entrepreneurial entry is driven by a
mix of economic necessity, aspirations for autonomy and self-realisation, perceived work–life flexibility,
and new opportunities created by digital platforms and evolving policy regimes. The study recommends
simplifying and deepening outreach for public schemes, developing gender-responsive financial products,
decentralising and hybridising ecosystem support, addressing care and mobility constraints, and promoting
norm-shifting narratives that position women as legitimate entrepreneurial leaders. By synthesising
dispersed evidence, the paper offers an integrated, policy-oriented understanding of women’s
entrepreneurship in India and highlights priority areas for future empirical research and targeted
intervention.

Developing Sustainable Human Resource Policies for Industry 5.0 in Manufacturing industry by using Fuzzy Logic–Based Evaluation of Training Needs

Mon, 18 May 2026 09:33:12 +0000

Industry 5.0 extends earlier digitalization efforts by emphasizing human well-being, customization,
resilience, and long-term sustainability as core industrial goals rather than focusing solely on automation
and connectivity. In this environment, Human Resource Management (HRM) must craft sustainable and
future-oriented policies that keep employee capabilities aligned with fast-moving technological and
societal shifts.
Industry 5.0 training needs must also be addressed within governance arrangements that protect human
dignity and strengthen workers’ voice. From this angle, training does not merely offer a technical remedy for
skill gaps; it also signals how organizations intend to treat their employees as disruptive technologies are
introduced.
This study proposes an integrated framework that employs a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM)
approach to identify training priorities and to order sustainable HR policy options suitable for Industry 5.0
settings. Building on work in Industry 5.0, sustainable HRM, fuzzy decision methods, and training
evaluation, the paper develops a conceptual fuzzy MCDM model for training-needs diagnosis and shows, in
principle, how it can be used in organizational practice.
The framework is designed to accommodate ambiguity in expert opinions, integrate economic,
environmental, and social dimensions, and yield actionable guidance for recruitment, capability
development, work and job design, and employee well-being initiatives. The paper concludes by
highlighting implications for HR practitioners, main constraints of the approach, and avenues for
subsequent empirical validation.

Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship: A Review of Challenges in Competitive Markets

Mon, 18 May 2026 09:40:06 +0000

The entrepreneurial landscape has undergone a fundamental transformation due to the swift spread of digital
technologies, which have brought up both complicated obstacles & new opportunities in highly competitive
marketplaces. In order to map the changing nexus of digital innovation & entrepreneurship, this extensive
study uses a mixed-methods approach that combines systematic literature review procedures with
bibliometric analysis of more than 2,000 publications (2015–2025) from Web of Science, Scopus, & Google
Scholar. Three main research clusters are identified by our analysis: 1. Technology-driven Business Model
Innovation (such as AI, blockchain, & IoT); 2. Digital Entrepreneurial Ecosystems; 3. Digital Ventures
Focused on Sustainability.
The study offers a new conceptual framework for categorizing digital entrepreneurship along two
dimensions: ecosystem embeddedness (platform-dependent vs. standalone) & innovation radicality
(incremental vs. disruptive). Our results cast doubt on accepted theories by demonstrating how generative
AI & algorithmic decision-making are revolutionizing opportunity recognition procedures.
The report provides evidence-based policy suggestions for encouraging inclusive digital entrepreneurship.
By combining the perspectives of complexity theory, dynamic capacities, resource-based view, it
theoretically expands the conversation.

AIfluence in Action: A Bibliometric Analysis of Artificial Intelligence in Tourism Content Marketing

Mon, 18 May 2026 09:46:15 +0000

The paper outlines a budding intersection of artificial intelligence and tourism marketing, a nexus that is
referred to as ‘AIfluence’ (AI + Influence). It logically analyses 223 academic journals included in Scopus
and Web of Science, between 2009 and 2026, and outlines current patterns in publications, authoritative
sources, and institutional views, as well as increasingly developing areas of research. The analysis shows a
significant increase in academic activity starting in 2020 in favour of such keywords as social media,
machine learning, and big data as key themes in motors driving innovation in AI-based tourism marketing.
China, the United States, and the United Kingdom dominate the scientific production in the world in
geographic concentration. An inter-institutional relationship also demonstrates a multidisciplinary
production of knowledge. It highlights the role played by AI in consumer interaction, customisation, and
ethical aspects of the marketing practice in tourism. Lastly, the work provides an evidentiary foundation to
the inquiry of the future that is of a responsible, data-driven, and consumer-centric AI application in tourism
marketing.

Determinants of Sustainable Entrepreneurship Intentions among Engineering and Management Students in Odisha

Santanu Kumar Das, Manas Pandey, Professor and Head — Mon, 18 May 2026 09:51:18 +0000

The growing emphasis on sustainability in the global landscape has significantly transformed
entrepreneurial ecosystems, compelling emerging entrepreneurial leaders to integrate environmental and
social concerns into their business ventures. This study examines the key factors influencing the intention of
engineering and management students in Odisha, India, to pursue sustainable entrepreneurship. Grounded
in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the study incorporates sustainability-related variables to assess
how attitude toward sustainability, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, environmental
awareness, and institutional support affect sustainable entrepreneurial intentions. A structured
questionnaire was administered to 300 students from leading professional institutions in Odisha. The
collected data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The findings reveal that attitude toward
sustainability, perceived behavioral control, and institutional supports are strong predictors of sustainable
entrepreneurship intention, while subjective norms play a moderate role. The results highlight the
importance of a supportive institutional ecosystem and eco-innovation–oriented systems in fostering
sustainable entrepreneurship. The study concludes with policy and educational recommendations aimed at
strengthening a sustainability-driven entrepreneurial culture among youth in Odisha.

Financing Preferences of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises: An Empirical Research of Surat District

Mon, 18 May 2026 09:56:45 +0000

The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) plays an increasingly vital role in many economies,
particularly in developing economies, highlighting the need for greater understanding of the financing
behaviour of MSMEs. Financing behaviour here means the preferences of MSME owners in sourcing their
funds, whether through personal investment or external credit.
This research aims to analyse the financing preferences of MSME through pecking order theory and to
examine does there exists any association between the financing preferences of MSME, firm attributes and
owner characteristics. Empirical data were collected from MSME owners of Surat district using a structured
questionnaire. The data is analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including the Chi-square test.
The findings indicate that MSME owners adhere to the pecking order theory, but no relationship was found
between financing preferences and firm or owner characteristics.
These findings and insights of the study will help policymakers to develop tailored financial frameworks to
enhance the sustainability and growth of MSMEs.