Entrepreneurial intent: A twelve‐country evaluation of Ajzen's model of planned behavior
International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research
ISSN: 1355-2554
Article publication date: 2 February 2010
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to test the ability of Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior to predict entrepreneurial intent in 12 countries representing all ten of the global regional clusters as identified in the GLOBE project.
Design/methodology/approach
Ajzen's model was operationalized to address entrepreneurial intent and a questionnaire was developed consisting of previously used scales, as well as a new measure of entrepreneurial autonomy. A total of 1,748 usable questionnaires were collected from university business students in 12 countries.
Findings
The results suggest that Ajzen's model of planned behavior, as operationalized in this study, does successfully predict entrepreneurial intent in each of the study countries, although as foreseen by Ajzen, the significant contributing model elements differ by country as does the percent of the variance explained by the model, although one model element, social norms, was a significant predictor of entrepreneurial intent in each country.
Originality/value
This is the first paper to provide insight to the role of cognition in the entrepreneurial process by examining a model of planned behavior in countries representing all global regional culture clusters. The paper also provides guidance for future entrepreneurial research and individual development of entrepreneurs.
Keywords
Citation
Engle, R.L., Dimitriadi, N., Gavidia, J.V., Schlaegel, C., Delanoe, S., Alvarado, I., He, X., Buame, S. and Wolff, B. (2010), "Entrepreneurial intent: A twelve‐country evaluation of Ajzen's model of planned behavior", International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 35-57. https://doi.org/10.1108/13552551011020063
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited