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. 2020 Dec 8:11:546745.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.546745. eCollection 2020.

Positive Psychological Attributes and Entrepreneurial Intention and Action: The Moderating Role of Perceived Family Support

Martin Mabunda Baluku  1   2 , Julius Fred Kikooma  1 , Kathleen Otto  2 , Cornelius J König  3 , Nida Ul Habib Bajwa  3
Affiliations

Positive Psychological Attributes and Entrepreneurial Intention and Action: The Moderating Role of Perceived Family Support

Martin Mabunda Baluku et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Recent research illustrates substantial gaps between entrepreneurial intentions and behavior. This is a challenge for entrepreneurship promotion interventions that have primarily focused on stimulating entrepreneurial intentions. However, extant literature suggests that implementation intentions enhance the likelihood of acting congruently to the behavioral intention. Furthermore, theory also suggests the condition effects of situations and the perceived control over them. We therefore hypothesized that implementation intentions mediate the relationship between entrepreneurial intention and action, while perceived family support moderates the movement from implementation intention to entrepreneurial action. Using two-wave survey data from a sample of students at an African university, we measured two psychological attributes (proactive personality and psychological capital) as important precursors of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial intentions present before undertaking an innovations and entrepreneurship course. Implementation intentions regarding entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial actions, and perceived parental support for entrepreneurial activities were also measured 2 weeks after completion of the course. Our results demonstrate support for the proposed moderated double mediation model in which the effects of the two psychological attributes on entrepreneurial actions are explained via entrepreneurial intentions and implementation intentions. We further find moderation effects of perceived family support indicating that implementation intentions more likely predicted entrepreneurial actions in cases of higher family support.

Keywords: entrepreneurial action; entrepreneurial intention; implementation intention; perceived family support; proactive personality; psychological capital.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Conceptual model.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Conditional indirect effects of proactive personality on entrepreneurial action through entrepreneurial intention and implementation intention.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Conditional indirect effects of psychological capital on entrepreneurial action through entrepreneurial intention and implementation intention.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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