Purpose: Underpinned by social cognitive and ecological systems theories, this research explored higher education students' entrepreneurial intentions (EI). It begins by exploring how various factors, including entrepreneurship education (EE), entrepreneurial motivation (EM) and entrepreneurial environment (EENV), contribute to the evolution of EI of students. Second, it examines the role of EM as an underlying mechanism between EE-EI and EENV-EI. Finally, this research explores how EENV moderates the EM and EI relationship.Design/methodology/approach: The data were gathered from 366 college students pursuing higher education around India using a convenience sample technique. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied to SmartPLSv.3.3.9 software to analyze the data.Findings: A direct relationship was found between EE, EENV and EM with EI. Moreover, this research found a partial mediation of EM between EENV-EI and EE-EI paths. Also, the results show that EENV strengthens the link between EM and EI links.Practical implications: This study offers valuable insights that can guide government agencies and higher education institutions (HEIs) in reshaping the landscape of entrepreneurial education at the university level. This transformation encompasses the integration of work-based learning experiences as a conduit for equipping students with tangible skills and exposing them to the realities of entrepreneurship in the real world.Originality/value: This research considerably contributes to the current literature on entrepreneurship at HEIs by merging social cognitive and ecological systems theories. This research is a pioneering input to examine the underlying mechanism of entrepreneurial motivation between EENV, EE and EI.

Purpose: The multidimensional decision-making framework of sustainable entrepreneurship affects student behavior in higher education institutions. Thus, the sustainable entrepreneurship environment has long attracted scholars and policymakers. Based on “Stimulus Organism Response (SOR),” this study examines serial mediation of sustainable entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial motivation to link sustainable entrepreneurial environment and intentions. Further, it also explored the moderating role of a sustainable entrepreneurial environment.Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative study was conducted with a sample of 408 students of Indian higher education institutes in NCR using a purposive sampling technique. Smart PLS-SEM was utilized for assessing the structural model, and a goodness-of-fit assessment was done with Amos 22.Findings: The findings revealed the significant impact of a sustainable entrepreneurial environment on sustainable entrepreneurial education, motivation and sustainable entrepreneurial intentions. Furthermore, sustained entrepreneurial education has the most important influence on student motivation and considerable serial mediation. Also, the moderating role of a sustainable entrepreneurial environment was found to be significant for linkages of entrepreneurial motivation and sustainable entrepreneurial education with sustainable entrepreneurial intentions.Practical implications: The study will assist HEIs and scholars in understanding the role of sustainability in entrepreneurial courses to increase student intentions to start sustainable businesses.Social implications: This study helps policymakers and HEIs understand what motivates students to pursue sustainable entrepreneurship. This research might improve the well-being of education stakeholders and the community in achieving sustainable development goals.Originality/value: The study is the first to analyze how sustainable entrepreneurial education and motivation serially mediate the link between a sustainable entrepreneurial environment and aspirations to establish a sustainable business and contribute to the existing literature of SOR from a new perspective.

The intentions and behaviour of entrepreneurs have been well researched and explored and now the limelight has shifted to sustainable entrepreneurship. The present study aims to examine the personal and institutional sustainability inclination that may help students develop their intent for sustainable entrepreneurship. Quantitative analysis with partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was performed with 422 samples collected from students at Indian universities. The model tested the first-order variables for university and personal sustainability and further the effect on the intentions to start sustainable entrepreneurship. The first-order variables of university sustainability are education on sustainability and campus sustainability and the students’ personal consumption profile and moral obligations for the first-order variables of personal sustainability. The findings indicated that the tendency towards sustainable entrepreneurship was more strongly influenced by personal than university sustainability inclination. Further, the results of the importance–performance map analysis (IPMA) highlighted the importance of personal sustainability as well as further advancements in ethical standards and campus sustainability to nurture students’ intentions for sustainable entrepreneurship. The findings of this study offer policymakers, researchers and higher education institutes insights to establish campuses that contribute to sustainability and reframe the educational curriculum to focus on students’ innate propensities to engage in sustainable endeavours. This article outlines the pioneering research effort into the personal and university sustainability inclination in consideration for shaping sustainable entrepreneurship intentions among students.

Firms make substantial investments in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, but there is limited understanding of whether such investments actually safeguard them from financial distress. In emerging economies, this is particularly relevant because unforeseen events such as crisis, regulatory changes, and industry dynamics can drive companies towards failure. Addressing these issues, this study analyses a panel dataset of 566 listed Indian companies from 2012 to 2024 and finds that sustainability performance consistently mitigates financial distress risk across the full distribution of firms, as validated through a method-of-moments quantile regression analysis. Context-based analyses further reveal that the favorable ESG effect remains stable during the COVID-19 crisis period and varies by industry affiliation. Simulation-based mediation analysis identifies firm leverage as a key transmission channel of the ESG-distress link. Lending support to risk management, trade-off, and strategic management theories, this work underscores the ‘insurance-like’ role of sustainability and deepens the conceptual understanding of how ESG can act as a strategic hedge against financial risks.