Entrepreneurial career choice intentions among secondary students in Colombia: the role of entrepreneurial exposure
International Journal of Emerging Markets
ISSN: 1746-8809
Article publication date: 18 September 2020
Issue publication date: 21 January 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Based on a theoretical framework grounded in the social-cognitive theory and its derivative the social-cognitive career theory, the main purpose of this paper is to examine the role of entrepreneurial exposure in moderating the relationship between self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intention in the presence of different levels of outcome expectations.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a sample of 643 secondary students from Colombia, the authors tested the validity and reliability of scales used to measure the main constructs of the socio-cognitive career theory and used the construct of entrepreneurial exposure to examine contingent hypotheses using a four-step linear regression analysis.
Findings
The study results suggest that although the main social-cognitive career variables (self-efficacy and outcome expectation) and entrepreneurial exposure directly influence the formation of entrepreneurial intention and thus support previous findings, the authors also discover a new configuration of (interacting) antecedents. While on the one hand, even a low level of entrepreneurial exposure leads to a significant increase in the entrepreneurial intention of secondary students with high outcome expectation and high self-efficacy; on the other hand, high entrepreneurial exposure leads to a decrease in entrepreneurial intention among students with high entrepreneurial expectation and high self-efficacy.
Research limitations/implications
The main implication of the study findings is although entrepreneurial exposure is beneficial for fostering entrepreneurial intention among secondary students, a high level of entrepreneurial exposure can have a detrimental effect especially among those with high self-efficacy and outcome expectations.
Practical implications
The paper suggests implications and suggestions for educators to foster the development of entrepreneurial intentions among students.
Originality/value
This study provides empirical evidence on the formation of entrepreneurial intention in a new setting. In addition, it improves one’s understanding of the main tenets of social-cognitive career theory by taking into account an important environment factor that can have a contrasting impact on the formation on entrepreneurial intention among adolescents.
Keywords
Citation
Osorio Tinoco, F., Bayon, M.C. and Murillo Vargas, G. (2022), "Entrepreneurial career choice intentions among secondary students in Colombia: the role of entrepreneurial exposure", International Journal of Emerging Markets, Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 277-298. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOEM-10-2019-0872
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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