Individual entrepreneurial orientation: development of a measurement instrument

The level of entrepreneurship in a country is an important determinant of economic growth and success. However, it is essential to ensure that individuals are gaining the necessary knowledge and skills to choose an entrepreneurial career upon completion of their studies. A qualitative research approach was employed by systematically reviewing approaches to entrepreneurial education and their effect on an individual’s entrepreneurial orientation. Data were analysed by means of thematic content analysis. Articles were identified in prominent databases according to a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings were grouped into six themes: The importance of the practical nature of entrepreneurial education; the impact of entrepreneurial education on the economy; entrepreneurial education approaches; the importance of individual entrepreneurial orientation; common individual entrepreneurial orientation factors and the interchangeability of individual entrepreneurial orientation, intrapreneurial orientation, and entrepreneurial attitude orientation. The findings of the systematic review indicate that there is a gap in the current body of knowledge, and the value of the study lies in the fact that many studies have explored the influence of entrepreneurial education on the intention of students, but very few have analysed this influence based on a student’s individual entrepreneurial orientation. Furthermore, findings also reveal that current entrepreneurial education approaches employ theory-based teaching but do not place enough emphasis on practice-based teaching. The findings of this study contribute to the existing body of knowledge by investigating the influence that entrepreneurial education has on the individual entrepreneurial education of university students.

Objective - This article aims to analyze the influence of moderating hostile and dynamic business environment variables on Individual Entrepreneurial Competence (IEC) and Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) on Business Performance. Methodology/Technique - This study is conducted on Credit Union (microfinance), especially in West Kalimantan, using the Structural Equation Model technique. Findings - The results of the analysis show that the Individual Entrepreneurial Competence variables and Entrepreneurial Orientation have a positive influence on Business Performance. Meanwhile, Individual Entrepreneurial Competence and Entrepreneurial Orientation have a positive and greater influence on Business Performance in hostile environments. On the other hand, Individual Entrepreneurial Competence has a positive effect on Business Performance, but tend to be weak on dynamic environment. The Entrepreneurial Orientation has a positive and stronger impact on Business Performance in a dynamic environment. Novelty - The study helps to develop business environment for nurturing entrepreneurship. Type of Paper: Empirical Keywords: Individual Entrepreneurial Competence; Entrepreneurial Orientation; Hostile versus Dynamic; Business Performance. JEL Classification: I21, L25, L26.

This paper examines the direct and indirect roles of individual entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurship education in determining students’ entrepreneurial intention through the mediation of entrepreneurial motivations. The study also attempts to ascertain the influence of entrepreneurship education on individual entrepreneurial orientation. Cross-sectional data were collected from 323 university students using the convenience sampling method. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the model fitness and the reliability and validity of the data while hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. The findings affirm that entrepreneurship education facilitates both individual entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial motivations and also has a positive association with entrepreneurial intention. More importantly, entrepreneurial motivations significantly mediate individual ‘entrepreneurial orientation–entrepreneurial intention’ and ‘entrepreneurship education–entrepreneurial intention’ relationships. The findings provide practical support for the framing of new educational policies to assist students in their existing and future entrepreneurial projects. The study contributes to the literature by recognizing the mediating effect of entrepreneurial motivations on the above relationships. It also adds to the scarce literature on the lately recognized individual entrepreneurial orientation construct.

A serial mediation model of the relationship between entrepreneurial education, orientation, motivation and intentions

PurposeThis paper investigates if and how entrepreneurs' social capital influences their individual entrepreneurial orientation attributes (innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk-taking).Design/methodology/approachThe research method adopted is an exploratory multiple case study. The case chosen is that of an emerging and under-examined entrepreneur, the religious entrepreneur. The study investigates 20 pastors responsible for small enterprise-churches in Brazil.FindingsSocial capital influences individual entrepreneurial orientation, being characterized by a relative paradox. The networks must be dense enough to stimulate entrepreneurs' individual entrepreneurial orientation but not be so dense as to harm innovativeness, proactivity and risk-taking. Further, data show that individual entrepreneurial orientation influences social capital.Research limitations/implicationsOne limitation relates to the semi-structured interviews' restricted use. A second limitation is associated with the recognition of churches only as productive enterprises.Practical implicationsThis article suggests the significance of incorporating both themes in entrepreneurial education and training programs. It also stresses the appropriateness of religious entrepreneurship as an empirical research field for business scholars.Originality/valueThe contributions are fivefold. First, the authors build exploratory theoretical propositions on the influence of social capital on individual entrepreneurial orientation. Second, they highlight the significance of dense networks for individual entrepreneurial orientation, expanding the literature that supports the relevance of cohesive networks solely to the construct's organizational dimension. Third, the authors suggest that a relative paradox may characterize individual entrepreneurial orientation. Fourth, the authors suggest the existence of recursion between both constructs. Finally, this study is one of the first to examine social capital and individual entrepreneurial orientation, considering innovativeness, proactivity, and risk-taking, which represents a neglected field in benchmarking studies.

PurposeThis study aims to extend the much-held strategic entrepreneurial orientation stance and conceptualized it as a psychological disposition of small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) owners. Based on this notion, the authors theorized that individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) is a precursor of success in manufacturing sector SMEs. Building on the credo of action regulation, the authors clarified the IEO and SMEs’ success association by introducing exploration activities as a conduit. Further, the authors posited that entrepreneurial alertness augments the nexus of IEO, exploration activities and SMEs success.Design/methodology/approachA three-wave survey was done by drawing a cluster-based sample of 389 SME owners in the manufacturing sector of Pakistan. The mediation and moderation analysis were done by PROCESS macro that uses bootstrapping with 5,000 draws to calculate the indirect (Model 4), conditional and conditional indirect effects (Model 7) at a 95% confidence interval.FindingsThe results offered empirical support to the conjectured association among IEO and SMEs’ success mediated by exploration activities. Moreover, the conditional direct (between IEO and exploration activities) and indirect impact (among IEO and SMEs’ success mediated by exploration activities) of entrepreneurial alertness was substantiated.Originality/valueThe authors added to the sprouting body of knowledge in the field of entrepreneurial orientation by focusing on its individual-level psychological conception. The authors have unlocked the interplay between IEO and SMEs’ success via the role of action characteristics of exploration activities and entrepreneurial alertness based on the action regulation tenet. Thus, the authors made a novel contribution by linking the micro-level entrepreneurial orientation and actions with macro-level SMEs' success.

Purpose This study explores the relationship between individual entrepreneurial orientation and digital entrepreneurial intention, focusing on the potential mediating role of digital competencies within the framework of social cognitive theory. Individual entrepreneurial orientation – comprising risk-taking, innovativeness and proactiveness – is examined in connection with students’ digital competencies and their digital entrepreneurial intention. Design/methodology/approach Our sample comprised 751 Spanish university students who completed a questionnaire including questions on entrepreneurial orientation, digital competencies and digital entrepreneurial intention. The Multiple Mediator Model methodology was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings The results obtained show that risk-taking and innovativeness significantly support digital entrepreneurial intention. Moreover, all dimensions of individual entrepreneurial orientation were positively related to the development of digital competencies, specifically information, communication, content development and problem-solving. Importantly, the analysis confirmed the mediating effect of the digital competencies – specifically information, digital communication and content creation – in the relationship between individual entrepreneurial orientation and digital entrepreneurial intention. Originality/value This research contributes to the understanding of digital entrepreneurial intention through the integration of individual entrepreneurial orientation and students’ digital competencies, offering ideas for developing specific educational programmes that foster both individual entrepreneurial orientation and students’ digital competencies.

Shaping the entrepreneurial mindset: Exploring the impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intentions among university students in the UAE: The mediating role of individual entrepreneurial orientation

In the context of a rapidly evolving digital economy and innovative entrepreneurship, university students are considered a potential group for entrepreneurial development. However, studies on individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) among students in Vietnam, particularly in Hanoi, remain limited. This study aims to examine the current status of students’ IEO across five dimensions: autonomy, innovativeness, proactiveness, competitiveness, and risk-taking. A quantitative survey was conducted with 675 university students in Hanoi, and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS through descriptive statistics and ANOVA. The results indicate relatively high levels of autonomy and proactiveness among students, whereas innovativeness, competitiveness, and risk-taking remain moderate. The study finds that prior entrepreneurial experience significantly influences students’ IEO. Based on these findings, the authors propose three groups of solutions to enhance students’ entrepreneurial orientation: fostering autonomy, promoting innovation, and strengthening proactive behavior, aiming to develop entrepreneurial capacities in a modern higher education environment. Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation, Students, University.

Purpose Social entrepreneurship (SE) presents specificities that the entrepreneur must address. Entrepreneurial intention (EI) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in SE should reflect specific characteristics of behavior. The purpose of this study is to identify the intention of Brazilian university students to undertake SE, having individual social EO (individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO)-social) as their predictive behavior. Design/methodology/approach This paper collected study data from Brazilian university students. To test the study’s hypotheses, this paper used confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation model, partial least squares and generalized linear regression model. Findings The results indicate that Brazilian university students positively respond to their intention to become social entrepreneurs in the future, regardless of gender, courses or types of universities. In line with the literature, IEO-Social proved to be a strong predictor of EI-social. Research limitations/implications This study was limited to understanding EI-social from IEO-Social. Besides, its sample is non-probabilistic, therefore, the findings of this study cannot be generalized. Practical implications The results encourage the inclusion of SE in entrepreneurial education programs. They guide the involvement of students from different areas of knowledge in activities aimed at higher education. Social implications Evidence indicates that including the SE theme in entrepreneurial education programs proves to be valuable for opening purposeful career opportunities for students. Originality/value The study contributes to eliminating the gap in studies on EI-social in Brazilian university students. It also offers the IEO-social scale, theoretically constructed and with superior psychometric quality.

Entrepreneurial orientation is a critical factor in the success of an organization and encourages higher performance. Individual entrepreneurial orientation can be influenced by organizational commitment and perceived organizational support. The study aimed to examine the relationship between occupational therapists' organizational commitment, perceived organizational support levels, and their individual entrepreneurial orientation. Using an online form, a cross-sectional survey study was conducted with 88 occupational therapists aged between 22 and 28. Occupational therapists completed a socio-demographic information form, the Organizational Commitment Scale, the Perceived Organizational Support Scale, and the Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Significant positive correlations were found between occupational therapists' individual entrepreneurial orientations and organizational commitment (p = 0.015; r = 0.260) and perceived organizational support (p = 0.045; r = 0.214). This study indicates that occupational therapists' individual entrepreneurial orientation increases when their levels of organizational commitment and perceived organizational support increase. Therefore, organizations should strive to maintain high levels of organizational commitment and the support provided by the organization to enhance the entrepreneurial orientation of occupational therapists, which is important for their creativity and innovation.

Studies on individual entrepreneurial orientation as well as the relationship between innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk-taking have not received much attention in the entrepreneurship literature. Therefore, this study aims to explore the relationship between the components of individual entrepreneurial orientation and examine the relationship between entrepreneurship education, individual entrepreneurial orientation, and entrepreneurial intention. The model developed was tested on 231 management and business students who have completed an entrepreneurship education program in the university. The data obtained were processed using PLS-SEM statistical programming to evaluate the outer and inner structure of the model. This study indicates that most of the arguments of the model compilers as explicitly observed in determining the effect of proactiveness on innovation have been confirmed. At the same time, risk-taking was discovered not to affect personal innovativeness. Entrepreneurship education was also proven to have affected individual entrepreneurial orientation, while only innovativeness and risk-taking were confirmed to have the ability to increase entrepreneurial intention. The findings succeeded in filling the void related to the study on the relationship dynamics between the dimensions forming individual entrepreneurial orientation. They also comprehensively complement the study model designed in the scope of individual entrepreneurial orientation, which was partially completed. Therefore, the results are expected to provide direction for educators and scholars in the area of entrepreneurship.


 
 
 Recent Entrepreneurship orientation autonomous dimension discussion revealed the important and the positive influence of autonomous orientation as one of the Entrepreneurial orientations (EO) towards organizational performance and profitability. However, discussion of autonomous orientation in the context of individual such as entrepreneurs behavioral change impact still silent, especially in the context of ex-juvenile entrepreneur that can give an insight to the Entrepreneurship body of knowledge. Therefore, the objective of this conceptual paper is to understand the influence of autonomous orientation behaviors as one of the individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) towards delinquent behavioral change of ex-juvenile entrepreneurs. The conceptual paper proposed the framework that ex- juvenile entrepreneurs could be autonomous and more importantly autonomous orientation might have a positive influence towards ex-juvenile entrepreneurs’ delinquent behavioral change. Subsequently relating development of this concept, the conceptual review demonstrates the importance of the autonomous orientation as an effective deliberate orientation for ex-juvenile entrepreneurs once they reconsider their delinquent behavior with entrepreneurial autonomous activities. Assuming autonomous orientation looks to replicate a desired reconciliation amongst delinquent behaviors and entrepreneurial autonomous orientation as an alternative to delinquency. Lastly, the conceptual paper concludes with suggesting some inferences for future research to dig out the study theoretically, conceptually and empirically of the individual EO autonomous orientation behaviors among delinquent populace (ex- juvenile entrepreneurs) context. This conceptual paper provides a fresh knowledge about the IEO autonomous orientation potentiality in the entrepreneurs’ self-development and an insight to the entrepreneurship framework.
 
 

Individual entrepreneurial orientation and innovation are essentials for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to drive their performance, including surviving or even growing during economic crises. The entrepreneur’s gender might have an impact on those relationships. Hence, this study aims to analyze whether there were some differences in the five dimensions of individual entrepreneurial orientation and differences in the influence of individual entrepreneurial orientation and innovation on performance between male and female entrepreneurs. The study was performed through an online survey of 352 SME owners in Indonesia. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and multi-group analysis were conducted to test the hypotheses. The results demonstrated that all dimensions of individual entrepreneurial orientation are valid for developing this construct, but only the risk-taking dimension distinguishes male and female entrepreneurs the most. Male entrepreneurs are more willing to take risks than female. Furthermore, individual entrepreneurial orientation affects performance mediated by innovation, and this effect is not different between male and female entrepreneurs. These findings enrich the literature on the impact of gender on entrepreneurial orientation and the influence of innovation on SME performance. In Indonesia, individual entrepreneurial orientation affects performance assisted by innovation; however, this influence is not different for SMEs managed by male and female entrepreneurs. AcknowledgmentWe acknowledge and thank all of the respondents and parties who supported this research. This study was funded by the Directorate of Research and Community Engagement, Universitas Indonesia, contract number NKB-1782/UN2.RST/HKP.05.00/2020.

Recently, scholars have extended the concept of entrepreneurial orientation to the individual level. Yet, how individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) contributes to employee performance is not well understood. Building on role theory, we develop a novel typology of employee performance that distinguishes between employee behavior aimed at achieving in-role performance and employee engagement in intrapreneurial activities. To test how IEO affects the different performance prototypes of this typology, we collected survey and archival data on IEO, entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE), employee in-role performance, and engagement in intrapreneurship in a Dutch subsidiary of an international consultancy firm. Our results show that IEO is positively associated with in-role performance and intrapreneurship. ESE is also positively associated with in-role performance and intrapreneurship, albeit indirectly via IEO. These results mark an initial step in unraveling the impact of IEO on employee and firm performance, as well as why different outcomes occur as a result of IEO.