Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer

The influence of personal characteristics on entrepreneurial intentions: International comparison

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15678/EBER.2020.080402

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to establish which factors are the most influential with regard to the development of entrepreneurial intentions (EI) and to establish whether it is the environment (each respondent’s country of origin), gender, or personal characteristics the influence of which factor prevails.

Research Design & Methods: The created hypotheses were tested using the classification tree method, following a logistic regression. The research population (n=789) comprised students of economic fields from universities in three countries: the Czech Republic, Germany, and the United Kingdom. ‘Willingness to run a business’ was a dependent variable whereas the countries of respondents’ origin, their gender, prior work experience, and personal characteristics (self-reliance, ability to accept risk, creativity, proactivity, and responsibility) were independent variables.

Findings: We found that the most significant factor in the willingness to run a business is the ability to accept risk. Other factors, such as the country of origin or respondents’ gender, are also statistically significant. Prior work experience did not prove to be a strong predictor.

Implications & Recommendations: The results show that the willingness to run a business, which forms an integral part of EI, is to a large extent influenced by relatively stable variables (i.e., personal characteristics, gender, and country of origin). Therefore, it is possible that certain measures aimed at starting and developing a business (e.g., education) will be less effective if the monitored variables (e.g., personal characteristics) are not taken into account.

Contribution & Value Added: The added value of this study is the identification and verification of variables influencing business within the international context.

       

Keywords

entreprenurship, personality, gender, Czech Republic, Germany, United Kingdom

(PDF) Save

References

  1. Adachi, T., & Hisada, T. (2017). Gender differences in entrepreneurship and
  2. intrapreneurship: an empirical analysis. Small Business Economics, 48(3), 447-486. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-016-9793-y
  3. Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational behavior and human decision processes, 50(2), 179-211. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
  4. Al-Jubari, I., Hassan, A., & Liñán, F. (2019). Entrepreneurial intention among University students in Malaysia: integrating self-determination theory and the theory of planned behavior. International Entrepreneurship & Management Journal, 15(4), 1323.
  5. Asante, E.A., & Affum-Osei, E. (2019). Entrepreneurship as a career choice: The impact of locus of control on aspiring entrepreneurs’ opportunity recognition. Journal of Business Research, 98, 227-235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.02.006
  6. Blanchflower, D.G. (2000). Self-employment in OECD countries. Labour Economics, 7(5), 471-505. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0927-5371(00)00011-7
  7. Brizek, M.G., & Poorani, A.A. (2006). Making the Case for Entrepreneurship: A Survey of Small Business Management Courses within Hospitality and Tourism Programmes. Journal of Hos-pitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education (Oxford Brookes University), 5(2), 36-47. https://doi.org/10.3794/johlste.52.119
  8. Cera, G., Mlouk, A., Cera, E., & Shumeli, A. (2020). The Impact of Entrepreneurship Education on Entrepreneurial Intention. A Quasi-Experimental Research Design. Journal of Competitiveness, 1, 39-56. https://doi.org/10.7441/joc.2020.01.03
  9. Chen, Y.-F., & Lai, M.-C. (2010). Factors Influencing the Entrepreneurial Attitude of Taiwanese Tertiary-Level Business Students. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 38(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2010.38.1.1
  10. Chmielecki, M., & Sułkowski, Ł. (2016). Metaphors of Entrepreneurship among Polish Students: Preliminary Research Findings. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 4(4), 141-151. https://doi.org/10.15678/EBER.2016.040409
  11. Dolhey, S. (2019), A bibliometric analysis of research on entrepreneurial intentions from 2000 to 2018, Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, 21(2), 180-199. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRME-02-2019-0015
  12. Eid, R., Badewi, A., Selim, H., & El-Gohary, H. (2019). Integrating and Extending Competing Inten-tion Models to Understand the Entrepreneurial Intention of Senior University Students. Education & Training, 61(2), 234-254. https://doi.org/10.1108/et-02-2018-0030
  13. Gieure, C., Benavides-Espinosa, M. del M., & Roig-Dobón, S. (2020). The entrepreneurial process: The link between intentions and behavior. Journal of Business Research, 112, 541-548. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.11.088
  14. Ghina, A. (2014). Effectiveness of Entrepreneurship Education in Higher Education Institutions. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 115, 332-345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.02.440
  15. Giacomin, O., Janssen, F., Pruett, M., Shinnar, R.S., & Llopis, F. (2011). Entrepreneurial intentions, motivations and barriers : differences among American, Asian and European students. Inter-national Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 7(2), 219-238. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-010-0155-y
  16. Gordon, I., Hamilton, E., & Jack, S. (2012). A study of a university-led entrepreneurship education programme for small business owner/managers. Entrepreneurship and Regional Develop-ment: An International Journal, 24(9-10), 767-805. https://doi.org/10.1080/08985626.2011.566377
  17. Holienka, M., Pilková, A., & Jančovičová, Z. (2016). Youth Entrepreneurship in Visegrad
  18. Countries. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 4(4), 105-121. https://doi.org/10.15678/EBER.2016.040407
  19. Iskandarini. (2014). The Impact of Entrepreneurial Barrier toward Entrepreneurial Intention for Decreasing Unemployment through Community Empowerment. Procedia – Social and Behav-ioral Sciences, 115, 166-174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.02.425
  20. Jafari-Sadeghi, V. (2019). The motivational factors of business venturing: Opportunity versus ne-cessity? A gendered perspective on European countries. Journal of Business Research. 13(May 2020), 279-289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.058
  21. Jena, R.K. (2020). Measuring the impact of business management students’ attitudes towards entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intention: A case study. Computers in Human Behavior, 107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106275
  22. Khursheed, A., Mustafa, F., Fatima, M., & Siddique, F. (2018). Entrepreneurial Intentions: Gem Based Emipirical Analysis on the Northern Europe and Asian Countries. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Knowledge, 6(2), 59-70 https://doi.org/10.2478/ijek-2018-0014
  23. Khursheed, A., Mustafa, F., Fatima, M., & Khalid, F. (2019). Antecedents of Entrepreneurial Inten-tions: A Cross-Country Study of Northern Europe and the Danube Region. Iranian Journal of Management Studies, 12(4), 593. https://doi.org/10.22059/ijms.2019.265108.673301
  24. Kristiansen, S., & Indarti, N. (2004). Entrepreneurial Intention among Indonesian and Norwegian Students. Journal of Enterprising Culture, 12(1), 55.
  25. Krueger, N.F., Reilly, M.D., & Carsrud, A.L. (2000). Competing models of entrepreneurial intentions. Journal of Business Venturing, 15(5), 411-432. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-9026(98)00033-0
  26. Lee, L., Wong, P.K., Foo, M.D., & Leung, A. (2011). Entrepreneurial intentions: The influence of organizational and individual factors. Journal of Business Venturing, 26(1), 124-136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2009.04.00
  27. Lee, S.M., & Peterson, S.J. (2000). Culture, entrepreneurial orientation, and global competitive-ness. Journal of World Business, 35(4), 401-416. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1090-9516(00)00045-6
  28. Lee, S.M., Chang, D., & Lim, S.B. (2005). Impact of entrepreneurship education: A comparative study of the U.S. and Korea. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 1(1), 27-43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-005-6674-2
  29. Liñán, F. (2008). Skill and value perceptions: how do they affect entrepreneurial intentions?. Inter-national Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 4(3), 257-272.
  30. Liñán, F., & Chen, Y.-W. (2009). Development and Cross-Cultural Application of a Specific Instru-ment to Measure Entrepreneurial Intentions. Entrepreneurship: Theory & Practice, 33(3), 593.
  31. Liñán, F., & Fayolle, A. (2015). A systematic literature review on entrepreneurial intentions: cita-tion, thematic analyses, and research agenda. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 11(4), 907-933.
  32. Liñán, F., Rodríguez-Cohard, J., & Rueda-Cantuche, J. (2011). Factors affecting entrepreneurial intention levels: a role for education. International Entrepreneurship & Management Journal, 7(2), 195.
  33. Maes, J., Leroy, H., & Sels, L. (2014). Gender differences in entrepreneurial intentions: A TPB mul-ti-group analysis at factor and indicator level. European Management Journal, 32(5), 784-794. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2014.01.001
  34. Machado, H.P.V., Gazola, S., Fabricio, J.D.S., & Anez, M.E.M. (2016). Women Entrepreneurs: Rea-sons and Difficulties for Starting In Business. RAM. Revista de Administração Mackenzie, 17(3), 15-38. https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-69712016/administracao.v17n3p15-38
  35. Maresch, D., Harms, R., Kailer, N., & Wimmer-Wurm, B. (2016). The impact of entrepreneurship education on the entrepreneurial intention of students in science and engineering versus business studies university programs. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 104, 172-179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2015.11.006
  36. Murnieks, C.Y., Cardon, M.S., & Haynie, J.M. (2020). Fueling the fire: Examining identity centrality, affective interpersonal commitment and gender as drivers of entrepreneurial passion. Journal of Business Venturing, 35(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2018.10.007
  37. Murugesan, R. (2010). Association between entrepreneurial inclination and entrepreneurial char-acteristics. Southern Journal of Entrepreneurship, 3(1), 36.
  38. Ng, K.S., & Fu, P.P. (2018). Factors Driving Foreign Women Entrepreneurship in China. Entrepre-neurial Business and Economics Review, 6(4), 49-69. https://doi.org/10.15678/EBER.2018.060403
  39. Nowiński, W., & Haddoud, M.Y. (2019). The role of inspiring role models in enhancing entrepre-neurial intention. Journal of Business Research, 96, 183-193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.11.005
  40. Oliveira, A., & Rua, O.L., (2018). From intention to entrepreneurial action Assessing the impact of the barriers on the creation of new organizations. RAUSP Management Journal, 53(4), 507-534. https://doi.org/10.1108/RAUSP-07-2018-0039
  41. Porfírio, J.A., Felício, J.A., & Carrilho, T. (2019). Family business succession: Analysis of the drivers of success based on entrepreneurship theory. Journal of Business Research. 115(C), 250-257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.11.054
  42. Postigo, S., Iacobucci, D., & Tamborini, M.F. (2006). Undergraduate students as a source of poten-tial entrepreneurs: a comparative study between Italy and Argentina. International Entrepre-neurship Education: Issues and Newness, 218-240.
  43. Pruett, M., Shinnar, R.S., Toney, B., Llopis, F., & Fox, J. (2009). Explaining entrepreneurial inten-tions of university students: a cross-cultural study. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research, 15(6), 571-594. https://doi.org/10.1108/13552550910995443
  44. Rau, S.B., Werner, A., & Schell, S. (2019). Psychological ownership as a driving factor
  45. of innovation in older family firms. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfbs.2018.03.001
  46. Reissová, A., & Šimsová, J. (2019). Earning or Learning – the Dilemma for Generation Y. EDU-LEARN19 Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.21125/edulearn.2019.2206
  47. Rustiadi, S. (2015). Creating Better Education System, Building Stronger Human Capital: A Creative Industries Perspective. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 169, 378-386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.323
  48. Sitaridis, I., & Kitsios, F. (2019). Entrepreneurship as a Career Option for Information Technology Students: Critical Barriers and the Role of Motivation. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 10(3), 1133. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-018-0519-z
  49. Sondari, M.C. (2014). Is Entrepreneurship Education Really Needed?: Examining the Antecedent of Entrepreneurial Career Intention. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 115, 44-53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.02.414
  50. Souitaris, V., Zerbinati, S., & Al-Laham, A. (2007). Do entrepreneurship programmes raise entre-preneurial intention of science and engineering students? The effect of learning, inspiration and resources. Journal of Business Venturing, 22(4), 566-591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2006.05.002
  51. Turker, D., & Selcuk, S.S. (2009). Which Factors Affect Entrepreneurial Intention of University Students?. Journal of European Industrial Training, 33(2), 142-159.
  52. Verheul, I., Thurik, R., Grilo, I., & van der Zwan, P. (2012). Explaining preferences and actual in-volvement in self-employment: Gender and the entrepreneurial personality. Journal of Eco-nomic Psychology, 33(2), 325-341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2011.02.009
  53. Wach, K., & Wojciechowski, L. (2016). Entrepreneurial Intentions of Students in Poland in the View of Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 4(1), 83-94. https://doi.org/10.15678/EBER.2016.040106
  54. Ward, A., Hernández-Sánchez, B.R., & Sánchez-García, J.C. (2019). Entrepreneurial Potential and Gender Effects: The Role of Personality Traits in University Students’ Entrepreneurial Inten-tions. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2700. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02700
  55. Wąsowska, A. (2016). Who Doesn’t Want to be an Entrepreneur? The Role of Need for Closure in Forming Entrepreneurial Intentions of Polish Students. Entrepreneurial Business and Econom-ics Review, (3), 27-39. https://doi.org/10.15678/EBER.2016.040303
  56. Wilson, F., Marlino, D., & Kickul, J. (2004). Our entrepreneurial future: examining the diverse atti-tudes and motivations of teens across gender and ethnic identity. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 9(3), 177-197.
  57. Zapkau, F.B., Schwens, C., Steinmetz, H., & Kabst, R. (2015). Disentangling the effect of prior entrepreneurial exposure on entrepreneurial intention. Journal of Business Research, 68(3), 639-653. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2014.08.007
  58. Zhang, S.-N., Li, Y.-Q., Liu, C.-H., & Ruan, W.-Q. (2020). Critical factors identification and prediction of tourism and hospitality students’ entrepreneurial intention. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 26, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2019.100234
  59. Zhang, T., & Acs, Z. (2018). Age and entrepreneurship: nuances from entrepreneur
  60. types and generation effects. Small Business Economics, 51(4), 773-809. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-018-0079-4

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.