Abstract:
The study explores the coverage of personal attributes groomed in the military
that affect the entrepreneurial intention of the ex-military personnel in Sri
Lanka to serve the nation in a better way, which is less covered in both national
and international literature. Although the amount of interest in veteran
entrepreneurship has increased over the years around the world, little has been
done to study how the inculcated discipline, leadership, and flexibility of military
life influence the success of entrepreneurship in developing nations, such as Sri
Lanka, where the future of post-service career transition remains doubtful.
Based on this gap, the study adopts a qualitative research design whereby semistructured
interviews will be conducted with successful Sri Lankan military
veterans-turned-entrepreneurs. The findings demonstrate that self-confidence,
leadership, adaptability, risk-taking propensity, and determination, which are
the characteristics that are enhanced in the military service, have a substantial
impact on the intention of the ex-military personnel to begin a business. These
qualities increase the entrepreneurial motive and recoverability, particularly in
volatile socio-economic situations. The study offers practical implications to
policymakers, veteran organisations, and entrepreneurship development
programs, revealing the necessity of specific support mechanisms to capitalise
on the entrepreneurial potential of the ex-military population. It adds to the
theoretical knowledge of the entrepreneurial intention among non-traditional
populations. Subsequent studies might develop this question further with
quantitative methods or investigate how gender, rank, or kind of military service
acts as a moderating variable.
