Effects of beliefs, motivation and entrepreneurial self-efficacy on entrepreneurial intentions: The moderating role of family support

Odoardi C.;Galletta M.;Battistelli A.;Cangialosi N.

2018-01-01

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Abstract

Entrepreneurship is crucial for promoting innovation, creating employment opportunities and generating social and economic wealth in a country’s economy. In order to increase entrepreneurial activity, it is important to investigate entrepreneurial behavior by analyzing the process of businesses creation and the set of factors that favor the development of entrepreneurial aspirations, intentions and actions, which is a central goal ofpsychology of entrepreneurship. This research aims to deepen the knowledge about the relationship between the entrepreneurial self-efficacy, belief, motivation, family support and entrepreneurial intentions by developing a moderated mediation model. This study suggests that entrepreneurial self-efficacy partially mediates the effect of beliefs and motivations on entrepreneurial intention. This mediation is moderated by family support, which is also directly related to the intentions. The study was conducted on a sample of 446 students from four different high schools, and results support our hypotheses. Theoretical and practical implications from this research are further examined in the study.