Predicting motivational outcomes in social entrepreneurship: Roles of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and situational fit

Year: 2020
Published in: Journal of Business Research, Volume 121, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.08.022.
Cited as: To, C. K. . et al. (2020) Predicting motivational outcomes in social entrepreneurship: Roles of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and situational fit. Journal of business research. [Online] 121209–222.

This study sheds light on self-motivational constructs that ultimately shape social entrepreneurs’ intention and orientation. This study proposes a constituent framework of motivation based on entrepreneurial self-efficacy or entrepreneurs’ commitment and confidence in their abilities to achieve entrepreneurial goals and breakthroughs.

This study tests a structural model of self-motivational antecedents and outcomes over the course of social entrepreneurship using data on 158 social entrepreneurs. The model antecedents stem from two categories of perceived variables, self-referent efficacy and perceived situational fit, which can result in pathways toward three outcomes, entrepreneurial goal striving, aspiration, and eudaimonic well-being. Among the five tested antecedents (experience mastery, social assertiveness, autonomy, effectual reward, and pro-sociality), experience mastery, social assertiveness, and autonomy have strong relationships with aspiration and eudaimonic well-being. Effectual reward has significant, but the least, effects on entrepreneurial goal striving. Pro-sociality measurements exhibit strong communality and cross-variability among the other antecedents. The results show that pro-sociality cannot be determined as a discernible source of entrepreneurial motivation but has an antithetical role in volitional intention. This study sheds light on self-motivational constructs that ultimately shape social entrepreneurs’ intention and orientation.