Is It Because I Can or Because of Who I Am? The Moderating Effect of Entrepreneurs’ Social Identity on Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacys' - Entrepreneurial Intention Relationship

Abstract

: The main purpose of this paper is to examine whether potential entrepreneurs are mainly driven by entrepreneurial skills or by a social identity to engage in entrepreneurial behaviors. Using a sample of 696 Colombian students from the data of Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students‘Survey (GUESSS) , findings confirm Darwinian and Missionary social identity influence entrepreneurial intention positively. Fur-thermore, we find that the more a person identifies with a Darwinian social identity, the less entrepreneurial intention depends on entrepreneurial self-efficacy, while the contrary happens for missionary social identity. This study provides empirical evidence that competence, and identification influence the entrepreneurial process. Additionally, this study provides an explanation in a new setting, about why some individuals with strong entrepreneurial self-efficacy do not exhibit strong entrepreneurial intention.