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Entrepreneurial alertness, self-efficacy and social entrepreneurship intentions

Boris Urban (University of the Witwatersrand Business School, Johannesburg, South Africa)

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development

ISSN: 1462-6004

Article publication date: 16 March 2020

Issue publication date: 9 June 2020

2050

Abstract

Purpose

Considering that many unanswered questions remain regarding the antecedents to entrepreneurial intentions, the purpose of this study is to develop insights from existing theories in entrepreneurship frameworks and apply these in the social entrepreneurship context. Consequently the study examines to what extant beliefs and cognitions shape social entrepreneurial intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

Hypotheses were statistically tested using multiple regression analyses based on survey data (n = 156) from individuals in South Africa.

Findings

Results support the hypotheses where entrepreneurial alertness significantly explained social entrepreneurial intentions, while self-efficacy showed a positive mediating effect in this relationship.

Practical implications

Policymakers encouraging social entrepreneurship should not only focus on external support factors such as financial support but also deliberately develop interventions by focusing on beliefs and cognitions, which the study has identified as important predictors of social entrepreneurship intentions.

Originality/value

By introducing previously unrelated individual-level factors to social entrepreneurship, closer empirical links are created between these factors in this study.

Keywords

Citation

Urban, B. (2020), "Entrepreneurial alertness, self-efficacy and social entrepreneurship intentions", Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 27 No. 3, pp. 489-507. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-08-2019-0285

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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