Millennial social entrepreneurial intent and social entrepreneurial self-efficacy: a comparative entrepreneurship study

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to propose and test predictors of millennials’ social entrepreneurial intent (SEI), mediating mechanisms and influential contextual factors.

Design/methodology/approach

This study includes survey data from 1,890 respondents, 315 each from China, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, Russia and the USA.

Findings

Empirical results show that social entrepreneurial self-efficacy (SESE) mediated the relationship between perseverance and proactive personality and the dependent variable SEI in all six countries. Life satisfaction positively moderated this relationship among US students and negatively moderated it among Chinese students. In China dissatisfaction appears to enhance SEI, while in the US satisfaction appears to do so.

Originality/value

This paper identifies the mediating role of SESE and the moderating role of life satisfaction when explaining SEI, as well as providing data from millennials in six countries.

Citation

Zhang, Y., Trusty, J., Goroshnikova, T., Kelly, L., Kwong, K.K., McGuire, S.J.J., Perusquia, J., Prabhu, V.P., Shen, M. and Tang, R. (2021), "Millennial social entrepreneurial intent and social entrepreneurial self-efficacy: a comparative entrepreneurship study", Social Enterprise Journal, Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 20-43. https://doi.org/10.1108/SEJ-07-2020-0054