Polychronicity and entrepreneurial intentions: Exploring cognitive flexibility and adaptability in potential entrepreneurs

Understanding the temporal dimensions of entrepreneurial intentions (EI) has been a longstanding challenge in entrepreneurship research. However, we still know relatively little about how temporally oriented constructs, such as cognitive flexibility and adaptability, influence these intentions. This study explores how preferences toward time utilization influence the formation of EI, applying a person-vocation fit perspective to develop a cognitive model. Our findings show that both cognitive flexibility and cognitive adaptability are positively related to polychronicity. Also, we show that the relationship between polychronicity and EI is moderated by gender, with results more pronounced among men. Our multiple-wave empirical analyses provide robust support for these hypotheses, underscoring the significant positive impact of polychronic tendencies on EI. This research contributes to the broader literature on EI by offering new insights into the cognitive and temporal factors influencing entrepreneurial intentions.