EXTENDING THE EFFECT OF PRIOR ENTREPRENEURIAL EXPOSURE ON ENTREPRENEURIAL PERSISTENCE: AN INTENTION BASED MODEL

This research investigates the impact of prior entrepreneurial exposure on an entrepreneur’s intention to persist. The objective of this study was to employ the Theory of Planned Behavior based logic to investigate its mediating effect of prior entrepreneurial exposure on entrepreneurial persistence intention among entrepreneurs, and whether their perception of the quality of that exposure or experience influences entrepreneurs’ intention to persist. Specifically, this study explores five exogenous influences on persistence intention. This study examines a final sample of 231 entrepreneurs from three data sources. The findings of this study indicate that subjective norms play a mediating role in the relationship between prior founding experience and persistence intention. The relationship between the perceived quality of prior entrepreneurial exposure and persistence intention behavior is also explained by subjective norms. Overall, it is not the exposure that leads to persistence intention, but the quality of the exposure that influences entrepreneur’s intention to remain in business. This study extends entrepreneurship literature on how exogenous variables impact entrepreneurial persistence intention through attitudinal factors.