A contribution to the validation of the Italian version of the entrepreneurial potential assessment inventory

Abstract

Entrepreneurial career assessment tools appear to be essential for the promotion and development of entrepreneurship. The present study reports a contribution towards the validation of the Italian version of the Entrepreneurial Potential Assessment Inventory (EPAI) (Santos, Caetano & Curral, 2014). Construct, convergent and discriminant validity were assessed. Confirmatory Factorial Analysis and Multi-group Confirmatory Factorial Analysis using SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) were conducted in order to test the fit of the data obtained from two samples (entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs) with the original theoretical model. The results indicated that the Italian version of the EPAI could be used for practical and research purpose. Thus, the EPAI could be adopted in vocational guidance interventions and career consultancy services in Italy. Future research in Italy should refine the scale by revising, in particular, two sub-dimensions of psychological competencies: capacity of innovation and emotional intelligence. Limitations and suggestions for further research are discussed.