Can role models boost entrepreneurial attitudes?

Abstract

This multi-country study used role models to boost perceptions of entrepreneurial feasibility and desirability. The results of a structural equation model based on a sample comprising 426 individuals who were primarily from Austria, Finland and Greece revealed a significant positive influence on perceived entrepreneurial desirability and feasibility. These findings support the argument for embedding entrepreneurial role models in entrepreneurship education courses to promote entrepreneurial activities. This direction is not only relevant for the academic community but also essential for nascent entrepreneurs, policymakers and society at large.

The impact of role models on entrepreneurial intentions and behavior: a review of the literature

“…Papers in this group analyze the presence of role models in different entrepreneurial education programs and their influence on entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions. The existence of role models at universities has been shown to increase students' tendency to pursue entrepreneurial attitudes (Fellnhofer and Puumalainen 2017;Mueller 2011) or to choose entrepreneurship as a career (Du Toit and Muofhe 2011; Rahman and Day 2014). Research in this group not only emphasizes the positive effect of ERMs on the entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions of students but also on increasing the awareness of entrepreneurship.…”

“…However, our literature review reveals that there is, to the best of our knowledge, no research on ERMs' effects on entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions in early entrepreneurship education (primary and secondary schools). Most studies tend to focus on adults (Fellnhofer and Puumalainen 2017) in higher education, such as university students (e.g., Du Toit and Muofhe 2011;Mueller 2011;Toledano and Urbano 2008;Rahman and Day 2014). None of the studies investigate younger ages, even though the importance of early childhood programs to adult behavior has been acknowledged in many disciplines, such as research on labor markets (e.g., Heckman et al 2013), cognitive and social development (Camilli et al 2010) and career choice intentions (Schröder et al 2011).…”

Product Newness, Low Competition, Recent Technology, and Export Orientation as Predictors for Entrepreneurial Growth Aspirations

“…Previous research suggests that entrepreneurial role models boost entrepreneurial attitudes [26] and set four prerequisites for firm growth: abilities, knowledge, willingness, and business opportunities. As a result, we define sustainable business development as the set of business strategies based on knowledge, innovation, entrepreneurial capacity, and the skills of the company's internal stakeholders to maximize value in the product and/or service offered in the market with the double goal of satisfying customers and preserving the environment.…”

Which Role Model Is More Effective in Entrepreneurship Education? An Investigation of Storytelling on Individual’s Entrepreneurial Intention

“…According to the expectations theory, positive outcomes lead to an increase in the expectation of good results, while negative outcomes have a weakening effect. Individuals enjoy scrutinizing successful entrepreneurship models, which potentially enhances their original entrepreneurial intention (Fellnhofer and Puumalainen, 2017). Comparing this with the agreement on successful role model stories (Chang, 2014), recent entrepreneurship studies cast some doubt about the specific influence of failure role model stories.…”

“…However, the issue of entrepreneurial passion as a factor for entrepreneurial intention has not yet been revealed in the literature. Whether entrepreneurial passion is a key factor in the potential entrepreneurial intention is worth exploring and verifying (Fellnhofer and Puumalainen, 2017). Deeper examination for the impact of entrepreneurial passion is urgent in this area (Gibson, 2004; Stam and Schutjens, 2004).…”