The role of entrepreneurial imaginativeness in enhancing AI-enabled performance: mediating and moderating mechanisms

Purpose This cross-disciplinary study bridges artificial intelligence (AI) and entrepreneurship domains by introducing a mediated moderation model to explore underlying cognitive processes. Leveraging social cognitive theory, the study examines the influence of entrepreneurial imaginativeness on AI-enabled performance, emphasizing the mediating role of information processing speed and the moderating effect of AI self-efficacy. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from two studies: one with 198 student entrepreneurs in a controlled laboratory setting and another with 204 active entrepreneurs managing businesses. The objective and subjective data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in Mplus. Findings The results reveal that entrepreneurial imaginativeness does not directly impact AI-enabled performance but exerts an indirect effect through information processing speed. AI self-efficacy significantly moderates this relationship, amplifying the positive impact of imaginativeness on AI-enabled performance for entrepreneurs via information processing speed with high AI self-efficacy. Originality/value This study contributes by explaining cognitive mechanisms underlying entrepreneurial imaginativeness and its role in driving AI-enabled performance. It enriches the literature on entrepreneurial cognition by delineating the mediating role of information processing speed. Furthermore, the study adds to the knowledge base by theorizing AI self-efficacy as a boundary condition for cognitive mechanisms, enhancing their effectiveness in strengthening cognitive modeling processes.