Exploring the impact of entrepreneurial alertness and cultural intelligence on creative self-efficacy: A global perspective

Globalization has encouraged the growth and popularity of recognizing opportunities worldwide. As such, entrepreneurial alertness and cultural intelligence stand out as essential catalysts for innovation and creativity. Managers' ability to identify opportunities, navigate diverse cultural contexts, and unleash their creative potential is now recognized as a critical factor for business success. However, previous research has primarily examined the independent influence of entrepreneurial alertness and cultural intelligence on other entrepreneurial outcomes, leaving a significant gap in understanding their independent and combined impact on creative self-efficacy (CSE). In this study, we bridge this gap by investigating the interplay between entrepreneurial alertness, cultural intelligence, and CSE among managers. Drawing on schema theory and entrepreneurial alertness literature, we hypothesize that entrepreneurial alertness enhances CSE, with cultural intelligence moderating this relationship. Our three studies, involving student and non-student samples, provide empirical evidence to generally support these hypotheses. Our study contributes to the existing literature by integrating concepts from entrepreneurship, psychology, and cross-cultural management, enriching our understanding of how these constructs influence CSE. The findings also shed light on the teachability of entrepreneurial alertness and its role in fostering CSE, thus aiding in better preparing future entrepreneurs for the complexities of the global marketplace.