Exploring the Link Between Mentoring and Intangible Outcomes of Entrepreneurship: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy and Moderating Effects of Gender.

Martin Mabunda Baluku,Kathleen Otto,Leonsio Matagi

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01556

Martin Mabunda Baluku, Kathleen Otto + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01556

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Abstract

Entrepreneurship education is increasingly becoming a focal strategy for promoting entrepreneurship, particularly to foster entrepreneurial intentions and startups. However, learning and support are equally important after startup for novice entrepreneurs to gain a good level of confidence to manage their business and achieve the desired outcomes. Using a sample of 189 young self-employed individuals in Uganda, this study examines the differential impact of mentoring and self-efficacy on the achievement of intangible outcomes of entrepreneurship including satisfaction of need for autonomy, work satisfaction and the intention to stay in self-employment. We found self-efficacy to mediate the effects of mentoring on these intangible outcomes. In addition, the results showed substantial gender differences. Whereas women’s satisfaction of the need for autonomy and intention to stay in self-employment were strongly associated with the direct effects of mentoring, their male counterparts seemed to benefit more if mentoring resulted in increased self-efficacy. Overall, our findings suggest that whereas mentoring improves the competence of small business owners and consequently achievement of superior outcomes, mentoring should also focus on boosting self-efficacy which in turn is essential for the application of the entrepreneurial competencies.

Highlights

The need to foster entrepreneurship to boost innovation, self-employment, and economic growth has sparked greater efforts in reviving entrepreneurship education and training (Sánchez, 2013)
It has been demonstrated that selfefficacy has stronger effect on girls’ entrepreneurship interest (Kickul et al, 2008). It remains questionable if women receiving the same level of mentoring and perceiving a comparable amount of self-efficacy as men report the same level of entrepreneurial outcomes? In this regard, we hypothesize that: Hypothesis 4: The direct effects of entrepreneurial mentoring on (a) satisfaction of the need for autonomy (b) intrinsic work satisfaction, (c) extrinsic work satisfaction, and (d) intention to stay in self-employment are stronger for men than for women
The moderator variable had substantial effects on all three outcomes: satisfaction of the need for autonomy (B = 0.15, p < 05), intrinsic work satisfaction (B = −0.47, p < 001), extrinsic work satisfaction (B = −0.61, p < 001) and the intention to stay in self-employment (B = 0.25, p < 01)

Summary

Introduction

The need to foster entrepreneurship to boost innovation, self-employment, and economic growth has sparked greater efforts in reviving entrepreneurship education and training (Sánchez, 2013). Entrepreneurs need to continue to learn and receive appropriate support to cope with the challenges of the new business to enable success and persistence. Mentoring and Intangible Outcomes of Entrepreneurship the critical points in the entrepreneurial process (Cope, 2011). Entrepreneurs can avoid failure and increase likelihoods of success of new start-ups through continues formal and informal learning from mentors and critical incidents (Sullivan, 2000). The present study, focuses on entrepreneurial learning through mentoring and its association with entrepreneurs’ perceived level of competence (self-efficacy) and entrepreneurial outcomes

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