Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Achievement Motivation and Entrepreneurial Intention: A Conditional Process Model of Entrepreneurship and Gender

Abstract

This study focused on the roles of entrepreneurship and gender in the relationship between achievement motivation and entrepreneurial intention. Specifically, we tested a moderating role of gender and examined the moderated mediating role of entrepreneurship by gender in the relationship between achievement motivation and entrepreneurial intention. Based on the secondary data from the 2017 Korea Entrepreneurship Survey on 10,000 people, a conditional process model 15 (Hayes’ PROCESS macro) analysis was used to test the direct and indirect paths with respect to gender differences. The results indicate that the conditional direct effect of achievement motivation on entrepreneurial intention was not significant for women, but it was significant for men. Results also confirmed that the indirect effect of achievement motivation on entrepreneurial intention via entrepreneurship was stronger for women than for men. Therefore, the moderation hypothesis and the moderated mediation hypothesis were supported. The study contributes to the explanation of the black box between achievement motivation and entrepreneurial intention by emphasizing the role of gender as a moderator and entrepreneurship as a mediator of this relationship. This study focused on and confirmed the role of gender previously neglected in the relationship between achievement motivation and entrepreneurial intention and the role of entrepreneurship as a mediator to promote entrepreneurial activity among women. Therefore, this study extends existing research results by elaborating the relationship between achievement motivation and entrepreneurial intention.