Entrepreneurial alertness, self-efficacy and social entrepreneurship intentions
Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development
ISSN: 1462-6004
Article publication date: 16 March 2020
Issue publication date: 9 June 2020
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
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited