The Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy of Micro-Entrepreneurs: A Social Cognitive Perspective

Today, the world is witnessing a massive transformation in all spheres of activity as a result of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognising opportunities is more crucial than ever. The purpose of this article is to analyse the impact of social capital (SC) on the opportunity recognition (OR) of micro-entrepreneurs through entrepreneurial self-efficacy. The study is in line with the social cognitive theory. Furthermore, the study analyses the influence of gender and type of business on SC, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and OR. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey among micro-entrepreneurs in Kerala, India. Independent sample Z-test and structural equation modeling were used to analyse the data. The results reveal that entrepreneurial self-efficacy mediates the relationship between SC and OR. Sobel test was used to reaffirm the mediation effect. This study provides suggestions for enhancing entrepreneurial self-efficacy to better identify opportunities in today's ever-changing global business environment. © 2023 The Association for Social Economics.

The effect of entrepreneurship education on the determinants of entrepreneurial behaviour among higher education students: A multi-group analysis

Entrepreneurship is generally considered the engine of social and economic development. Therefore, its promotion is of the utmost importance, especially in a context of crisis, such as the one currently experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to identify the best approaches to foster entrepreneurship, this study aims to understand how entrepreneurship education impacts the development of entrepreneurial skills and behaviors in students. The results of this study show that the behavior associated with promoting new ventures can be predicted by specific individual characteristics. More specifically, individuals with greater prior knowledge, entrepreneurial alertness, opportunity recognition, entrepreneurial motivation, and entrepreneurial intention exhibit greater entrepreneurial behavior. In addition, the results of the multi-group analysis indicate that the proposed model works differently in students with some type of entrepreneurship training and in those with none. More specifically, students enrolled in entrepreneurship education are more likely to use prior knowledge and alertness to recognize new business opportunities and align their motivations toward starting a new venture than other students. © 2023 The Authors

Developing Entrepreneurial Sustainability among Saudi Arabia’s University Students

The role of entrepreneurship has transformed to include issues beyond economic growth. This has twisted attention toward the drivers of entrepreneurial intentions across entrepreneurship types, particularly in sustainable entrepreneurship. Sustainable entrepreneurship is essential and a protagonist tool in protecting the environment, economy and society. This ensures employment opportunities, solves environmental problems and facilitates social and economic development. Keeping into consideration, the present study attempts to investigate sustainable entrepreneurial intention through Attitudes toward Sustainability (ATS), Perceived Desirability (PED), Perceived Feasibility (PEF) and Opportunity Recognition (OR) among Saudi Arabia’s university students. We employed the quantitative approach and used a survey questionnaire to obtain the responses from the respondents. We targeted the students of different public sector universities in Saudi Arabia using a random sampling technique. Finally, we utilized 292 valid samples to infer the results. Utilizing the Structural Equation Model (SEM) through analysis of moment structures (AMOS), we found a positive and significant effect of Attitudes towards Sustainability (ATS), Perceived Desirability (PED) and Perceived Feasibility (PEF) on Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intentions (SEI) and Opportunity Recognition (OR). This study provides valuable insights into the entrepreneurship domain and offers guidelines for policymakers and planners in shaping the policies that promote entrepreneurial sustainability and employment in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the OR factor also significantly and positively affects SEI. Finally, the study’s findings would contribute to the literature review by adding another empirical confirmation from Saudi Arabian students’ viewpoint.

Impact of entrepreneurial orientation on the performance of new ventures in China: the roles of entrepreneurial bricolage and opportunity recognition

Purpose>This study aims to examine how entrepreneurial orientation affects new venture performance in a dynamic environment. The authors examine whether entrepreneurial bricolage and opportunity recognition mediate the effect of entrepreneurial orientation on new venture performance and whether environmental dynamics moderate the above effects.Design/methodology/approach>This study uses questionnaires to collect data. The sample includes responses of managers from 274 new Chinese ventures. Regression analysis and bootstrapping are used to test the hypotheses.Findings>Entrepreneurial bricolage and opportunity recognition play mediating roles between entrepreneurial orientation and new venture performance. Environmental dynamism positively moderates the relationship between opportunity recognition and new venture performance.Practical implications>In a dynamic environment, new ventures should strengthen their entrepreneurial orientation, which would gradually improve their performance by improving their entrepreneurial bricolage and opportunity recognition ability.Originality/value>This study innovatively explains the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and new venture performance from the perspectives of “flexible solutions to current problems” and “discovering and grasping potential new opportunities.” It does so by using the concepts of entrepreneurial bricolage and entrepreneurial opportunity identification in the context of a dynamic environment.

I can see the opportunity that you cannot! A nexus between individual entrepreneurial orientation, alertness, and access to finance

Purpose>The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how alertness enable small and medium scale enterprise (SME) owners to leverage their individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) such as risk-taking, pro-activity, innovation, passion and perseverance in a better way to recognize opportunities for financial resources as compared to their counterparts who are not alert. Moreover, it elaborates on the mediating role of opportunity recognition of financial resources between IEO and SMEs’ access to finance (AF).Design/methodology/approach>A three-wave time-lagged survey from a stratified sample of 271 small and medium scale business owners in Pakistan was conducted and the data were analysed using PROCESS models 1 and 4.Findings>The findings grounded in the theory of Action Regulation, signify that the IEO of small and medium scale business owners helps them attain financial resources through opportunity recognition capacity which is an action characteristic. Moreover, the IEO of SME owners, coupled with entrepreneurial alertness (EA;a cognitive pre-action state), amplifies their ability to recognize opportunities for financial resource availability.Originality/value>This is one of the initial studies to test the IEO scale, including passion and perseverance. Moreover, it has added to the individual-level antecedents of AF in small and medium scale businesses through the role of EA and opportunity recognition.