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The growing popularity of gig and sharing economy changes not only consumption models but also employment patterns. This study aims to analyze the potential entrepreneurial nature of gig and sharing economy initiatives. As such, the authors compare the entrepreneurial intentions of gig and sharing economy workers to the general population. Further, the authors consider commonalities and differences in terms of the driving forces of both intentions to start-up and participation in gig and sharing economy, treating them as connected phenomena. Finally, the authors look into gig and sharing economy experience as a direct antecedent to entrepreneurial intentions formation.

The empirical settings for this study are derived from the sample of 1,257 individuals who participated in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Adult Population Survey 2018 in Russia. Methodologically, the authors rely on analysis of variance-test and binary logistic regression analysis to test the study hypotheses.

The results indicate that entrepreneurial intentions of gig and sharing economy workers are significantly higher when compared to the general population. In terms of antecedents to gig and sharing economy participation and startup intentions, similar effects of age, entrepreneurial social capital, prior entrepreneurial exit and intrapreneurial experience were revealed, while perceived self-efficacy was associated only with engagement into digital platforms. Finally, gig and sharing economy experience showed significant and positive effect on entrepreneurial intentions formation.

This study represents a first substantive effort to systematize antecedents to gig and sharing economy participation through an entrepreneurship perspective. Beyond that, this research adds to the contextualization of entrepreneurship literature stream, further defining the mechanism of entrepreneurial intentions formation in empirical settings of an emerging market with a relatively low propensity of population to develop intentions to start-up.

Compared with other emerging and former command economies, Russia has low levels of entrepreneurial activity and exceptionally low levels of reported entrepreneurial intentions. Drawing on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this paper aims to examine the determinants of entrepreneurial intentions in Russia.

Using individual level data from two waves (2013 and 2018) of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) survey, the paper presents a range of semi-nonparametric logistic regressions estimating the determinants of reported entrepreneurial intention among the Russian adult population not already engaged in entrepreneurial activity. These data allow for the first empirical exploration of the TPB in the Russian context.

The results provide evidence in support of two (“attitudes” and “perceived behavioural control”), from three, origins of the theory of planned behaviour. Firstly, positive attitudes towards entrepreneurship, in the form of employment seeking and direct (own experience) or indirect (experience through social networks) entrepreneurial knowledge are both positively associated with intention. Secondly, individuals who consider their environment to be conducive to entrepreneurship and who believe they have the knowledge and skills required to be entrepreneurs are more likely to intend entrepreneurial action.

In view of the limited entrepreneurial activity and low levels of reported entrepreneurial intention in Russia, it is important to understand the drivers of these intentions if the appropriate policy responses are to be identified and adopted. This research represents the first substantive efforts to comprehensively examine the determinants of entrepreneurial intentions for Russia and allows us to propose several policy relevant conclusions.