Entrepreneurial nascent behaviour: The role of causation process in opportunity discovery and creation

Objective: The notion of opportunities is fast becoming a dominant topic in the field of entrepreneurship research. Based on the causation process, this study aims to identify the manager's decisions to take entrepreneurial action through opportunity discovery and opportunity creation indicators. Research Design & Methods: This empirical study tests its hypotheses by using a sample of 400 senior and middle-level managers from Pakistan and applied a SEM structural equation modeling technique. Findings: Our findings show that opportunity discovery and opportunity creation positively and significantly influence nascent entrepreneurial behaviour. Meanwhile, results reveal that the causation approach partially mediates the relationship between opportunity discovery, opportunity creation, and nascent entrepreneurial behaviour. Implications & Recommendations: The results of this study elucidate senior and middle level managers from a SME sectors of Pakistan. On the basis of our findings, policy makers, managers and entrepreneurship researchers may better understand how to discover and create an opportunity in starting a new business. Contribution & Value Added: This study is the first attempt that contributes to the field of entrepreneurship by taking the causation approach as a mediator and identifying the role of opportunity discovery and opportunity creation on developing nascent entrepreneurial behaviour among senior and middle-level managers in Pakistan.