Anticipated emotions towards new venture creation: A latent profile analysis of early stage career starters

• Study examined students' anticipated emotions towards business startup.
• Students anticipate feeling both positive and negative emotions.
• A four class taxonomy of students was identified.
• Entrepreneurs as parents cultivate positive future cognitions.
• Results point to the usefulness of the anticipated emotions perspective.

The purpose of the present study is to explore students' experiential projections for how new venture creation process will be perceived. Specifically, the study (a) identify anticipated emotions that students predict will experience when they imagine themselves in the process of new venture creation and (b) model anticipated emotion variations with respect to perceived desirability, perceived feasibility and entrepreneurial intent of business startup. A questionnaire survey was completed by a sample (N = 1160) of Social Science, Engineering, Science and Business students, across ten Greek universities. Structural equation modelling and latent profile analyses were used. Results provide evidence that students with a family example of entrepreneurship have different emotional predictions compared to students with parents that are employees. Moreover, using anticipated emotions as segmentation variable a four-class taxonomy of students is identified with internal and external validity. The study concludes that anticipated emotions may have a clear adaptive value and provides a basis for persuasive strategies used in an informative way for entrepreneurship education.