Antecedents of perceived entrepreneurial ability in Catalonia: the individual and the entrepreneurial context

Abstract

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to examine the antecedents of perceived entrepreneurial ability within a given context. Design/methodology/approach: Taking the cognitive approach we examine the role of several individual-level factors and the entrepreneurial context in the form of personal knowledge of other entrepreneurs and territorial location in influencing positive perceptions of entrepreneurial ability. The proposed hypotheses are tested on a dataset of 1961 respondents randomly selected from the adult population in Catalonia region in Spain. Findings: Our results reveal that among the individual level factors, a median level of education, experience (both prior entrepreneurial experience and job), task specific knowledge and age have a significantly positive influence on perceived entrepreneurial ability in Catalonia. However, among the entrepreneurial context it is the knowledge of other entrepreneurs rather than territorial location that have a significantly positive influence on perceived entrepreneurial ability. Originality/value: Previous studies have reported that nascent entrepreneurs tend to have significantly favourable perceptions of their entrepreneurial ability. In this study using the cognitive learning framework we examined the antecedents of such perceived entrepreneurial ability thereby extending the stream of studies that look at pre-entry factors that influences entrepreneurial cognitions. The value of our research is in identifying and explaining the combined role of individual-level resources and the contextual environment in influencing one of the most important drivers of nascent entrepreneurship in an economy. Implications:The main implication of our study is that favourable perceptions of entrepreneurial ability can be influenced through participatory learning as well as behavioural modelling. Our study points to several ways through which favourable perception of entrepreneurial ability can be influenced within a given context.

Individual entrepreneurial orientation on MSME's performance: the mediating effect of employee motivation and the moderating effect of government intervention

“…Entrepreneurial ability is a combination of two important factors, viz., innate talent and continuous improvement of this talent (Sengupta et al, 2013). It is discussed in various literature that desire for profit (Bosma et al, 2012), social ties and networks (Hoang and Antoncic, 2003), prior experience, parental work background (Vaillant and Lafuente, 2007), awareness about one's entrepreneurial abilities (Bayon et al, 2015), market orientation are important factors that lead to enhance the entrepreneurial ability of an individual. Thus, a collective impact of entrepreneurial leadership and entrepreneurial ability can boost the individual entrepreneurial orientation and, subsequently the performance of the small business segment.…”

A comparative study of institutional factors influencing entrepreneurial activities: a case study of Egypt and Saudi Arabia

“…In this way, it is critical to empower people with the entrepreneurial potential to have their spot in the economic procedures and process (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report, 2017/2018. Such studies focused on the contexts of organization, ethics, business, and community (Bayon et al, 2015). On the other hand, few pieces of research had been devoted to entrepreneurial activities and the reasons beyond having limitations in its applications.…”

“…Entrepreneurship and an individual's economic wellbeing are resulted from significantly connection with education abilities. As physical assets an individual's is a form of capital that provides long terms economic benefits; abilities can be acquired through education and training (Bayon et al, 2015). The abilities of human capital enhance the productivity of an individual.…”

“…Moreover, higher level of education and training implies higher productivity, and higher productivity, in turn, lead to higher wages (greater economic well-being). Therefore, absence of a readily available market, for instance, a market for entrepreneurs, individuals would not invest in acquiring entrepreneurship-specific abilities thereby lacking the abilities necessary to effectively pursue entrepreneurship (Bayon et al, 2015).…”

Cameroonian perspectives on entrepreneurship: discovering subcultural heterogeneity

“…This has led to further research into the possible effects of culture at an individual level. Studies have suggested effects on entrepreneurship are due to individual differences: leadership traits (Stephan and Pathak, 2016), whether immediate family members (especially parents) have been entrepreneurial (Chrisman et al, 2002;Carr and Sequeira, 2007;Wongnaa and Kwame Seyram, 2014), whether childhood included any entrepreneurial experience (Drennan et al, 2005;Sharma and Madan, 2014), other individual educational experience (Peterman and Kennedy, 2003;Bayon et al, 2015), individual risk perception and information asymmetries (Palich and Bagby, 1995), and individual personality traits (Zhao et al, 2010) such as overconfidence (Bernardo and Welch, 2001). Recent research has begun to use complexity theory perspectives to argue that it is the various configurations of individual cultural components that drive entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions (Thai and Turkina, 2014;Woodside et al, 2016).…”