The Effect of Perceived Corruption on Entrepreneurial Intention: Evidence from Italy

Administrative Sciences

Mendola

2019

Although researchers have identified corruption as a factor capable of affecting the entrepreneurial ecosystem at the national level of analysis, scholars have reported conflicting results regarding the exact nature of the relationship between corruption and entrepreneurial intentions. This paper formulates some propositions about the complex relationship between corruption and entrepreneurship at different levels of analysis and it suggests and explores the socio-cultural consequences of such domains’ interactions. Finally, the slippery-slope effect will be discussed as an intra-individual psychological mechanism that could explain why even morally-engaged people might replicate corrupt behaviors. The limitations of this work, and its implications for future researchers and for government policies will be analyzed.

Section: The Effects Of Corruption On Entrepreneurial Intentions: Thementioning

confidence: 90%

Section: The Effects Of Corruption On Entrepreneurial Intentions: Thementioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Corruption in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems on Entrepreneurial Intentions

Administrative Sciences

Mendola

2019

“…Although the majority of studies seem to confirm the "sand the wheel" hypothesis as the one that better explains the relationship between entrepreneurship, economic growth, and corruption (Aidt 2009;Allini et al 2017;Bowen and De Clercq 2008;Del Mar Salinas-Jiménez and Salinas-Jiménez 2007;Djankov et al 2005;Dutta and Sobel 2016;Estrin et al 2006; Olawale and Garwe 2010), El Harbi and Anderson (2010) have developed an econometric model that indirectly supports the "grease the wheel" hypothesis (Hofstede et al 2004), as they showed that lower levels of perceived corruption were associated with lower levels of self-employment. These authors suggest that this apparently counter-intuitive and counter-trend result could be explained by taking into account entrepreneurs' resignation to, and understanding of, corruption as something they are used to and against which they have developed specific competencies (El Harbi and Anderson 2010).…”

Section: The Effect Of Corruption Perception Of the Entrepreneurship mentioning

confidence: 99%

Entrepreneurial Self-Identity, Perceived Corruption, Exogenous and Endogenous Obstacles as Antecedents of Entrepreneurial Intention in Italy

Mendola

2019

Social Sciences

Although entrepreneurship is considered one of the most powerful drivers of national economies around the world, there is little consensus about what informal factors foster entrepreneurial intention. In accordance with recent literature, entrepreneurial self-identity perception, the perception of corruption in the entrepreneurship ecosystem, and perceived exogenous and endogenous obstacles to entrepreneurship were hypothesized as antecedents of college students’ and graduates’ entrepreneurial intention. A study with a sample (N = 153) composed of college students and graduates from an Italian university was conducted. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to test the research hypotheses. The hypotheses that entrepreneurial self-identity perception and corruption perception of the entrepreneurial ecosystem are positive antecedents of entrepreneurial intention were confirmed. Corruption was considered as a viable and socially acceptable strategy that entrepreneurs might adopt in order to easily overcome governmental norms and rules about managing firms. It was hypothesized that the perception of corruption of the entrepreneurial ecosystem might be a positive antecedent of entrepreneurial intention if the subjects perceived the corruption as pervasive of the economic ecosystem and the effort made by national government to control corruption as ineffective. From this point of view, the positive causal relationship between perceived corruption and entrepreneurial intention could reveal college students and graduates’ propensity to perceive corruption as a phenomenon capable of generating a “grease the wheel” effect.

“…With regard to the first way, Allini et al (2017) tried to incorporate in the TPB model the perceived corruption as a contextual factor that can inhibit the development of EI in young aspiring entrepreneurs demonstrating that perceived corruption might have a detrimental effect on EI creating a culture of mistrust. Keat et al (2012) openly reasoned about two categories of perceived obstacles that could negatively affect the intention of an aspiring entrepreneurs in starting a new firm: endogenous obstacles, linked to the beliefs showed by the individuals about their attitude and other personal characteristics; exogenous obstacles, linked to the individual perception about factors that can be seen as difficulties generated by the policies adopted by government (e.g, bureaucracy, lack of funds, etc.).…”

Section: Problem Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychometric Properties Of A Questionnaire Measuring The Antecedents Of Entrepreneurship Education Intention

European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences

Mendola²

2017

A limit of the questionnaires measuring Entrepreneurial Intention (EI) is the lack of a multidimensional vision of its antecedents. The definition of a multidimensional model of the main drivers affecting the intentions of aspiring entrepreneurs in building a start-up seems a fundamental milestone to overcome this pitfall. This paper aims to explore the internal consistency reliability of a new multidimensional questionnaire measuring the antecedents of EI and Entrepreneurial Education Intention (EEI). The tool consists in a self-administered online questionnaire that has been built in accordance with the Theory of Planned Behavior in entrepreneurship research. It includes 54 items adapted by others studies or created by the authors and it has been administered to college students and graduates (N = 70). Cronbach's Alpha and Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) were performed using SPSS v23. The value of Cronbach's Alpha and the CFA confirmed the internal stability of the questionnaire, even if the post hoc diagnostic information forced the authors to remove some items with a low value of their standardized regression weights and to estimate some within-factor correlated errors to improve model fit. Although the number of subjects involved in the study was small, this pilot study shows a good internal consistency reliability of the questionnaire.