Investigating the relationship between entrepreneurship and social networks

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between entrepreneurship and social networks among entrepreneurs in Abha province using descriptive correlational method. The statistical population of this study included 313 entrepreneurs in Abha province who were selected by random sampling. Information was obtained using a questionnaire. The content and face validity of the questionnaires were confirmed by the views of the supervisor, several experts and a number of individuals of statistical population. Analysis was performed using SPSS 23 software at two levels of descriptive and inferential statistics; the statistical characteristics such as frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation and in inferential section, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test were used to investigate normality and Pearson's correlation coefficient. The findings indicated that according to the first hypothesis of the research: There is a relationship between social sources of entrepreneurs' information in entrepreneurial opportunity recognition with correlation coefficient (0.867) and significance level (0.000). There is also a relationship between the structure of entrepreneurs' social relationships in entrepreneurial opportunity recognition with the correlation coefficient (0.777) and significance level (0.000). Findings of hypothesis of social relationship and entrepreneurial opportunity recognition show that there is a significant and direct relationship in amount of (r= +0.808). Also the results of the last hypothesis test show that the correlation coefficient between social network and entrepreneurial opportunity recognition is significant and there is a significant relationship between these two variables. i.e, there is a significant and direct relationship between social network and entrepreneurial opportunity recognition in amount of (r= 0.903).