Empathy and passion: keys to social entrepreneurship

This study examines the motivations influencing social entrepreneurial intentions among Tunisian students. Utilising principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminant analysis (DA), data was collected from 302 students at the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences of Sfax. The results reveal that both intrinsic motivations (such as those responding to needs, empathy, social innovation, and passion) and extrinsic motivations (including family background, relational networks, entrepreneurship education, national culture, and digital channels) positively impact students' social entrepreneurial intentions. The findings highlight the need to foster a social entrepreneurial mindset among Tunisian students, suggesting that dedicated training and academic programs in universities are crucial for promoting social entrepreneurship as a viable career option. This study underscores the importance of supporting social entrepreneurs to address pressing societal challenges and suggests further research on the actualisation of social entrepreneurial intentions.