The idea is not enough: The role of self-efficacy in mediating the relationship between pull entrepreneurship and founder passion – a research note. (December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dalborg, Cecilia; Wincent, Joakim
• Is Part Of: International small business journal. Volume 33:Number 8(2015)
• Page Start: 974
• Page End: 984
• Publication Date: 2015-12
• Subjects: entrepreneur -- nascent entrepreneurship -- passion -- pull/push entrepreneurship -- self-efficacy; Small business -- Periodicals; 338.64205
• DOI: 10.1177/0266242614543336
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0266-2426

Abstract

This research note demonstrates that self-efficacy is important for understanding why an attractive idea may lead an entrepreneur to develop passion. Drawing upon a survey of 103 respondents, we find that self-efficacy mediates the influence of pull entrepreneurship on founder passion suggesting that being pulled toward opportunities to start a business is not directly required for entrepreneurial passion to develop. Instead, pull entrepreneurship increases self-efficacy and assists the individual to develop the skills typical of an entrepreneur. This instills individual self-efficacy beliefs, which in turn are prerequisites for passion to grow. As such, this research uncovers a skill-based explanation of how founder passion develops.