Does Social Network Always Promote Entrepreneurial Intentions? Part I: Theoretical Model

Abstract

Chinese College-graduate Village Officials are supposed and encouraged to start their own business. This can keep them stay in rural areas and serve to the “New Countryside Constructions”. However, their entrepreneurial intentions are very weak with few of them interested in business-related information. Especially those people who have more resources and relationships in social networks. Thus, the question whether social network always promote entrepreneurial intentions is bought to our attention. In order to verify how social network affects entrepreneurial intentions, this paper developed a theoretical model as well as several hypotheses based on research achievements obtained. Three network varieties are chosen to measure features of social network, which are network size, network heterogeneity, and properties of top node. Two mediators, entrepreneurial desirability and entrepreneurial feasibility are set between social network and entrepreneurial intension. The further research of this paper is to verify the theoretical model with database of Chinese College-graduate Village Officials samples, which will be discussed in part II.KeywordsCollege-graduate Village OfficialSocial networkNetwork heterogeneityEntrepreneurial intentions