Crossing the Entrepreneurial Rubicon: A Longitudinal Investigation

The dynamics leading from intention to start‐up remain poorly understood. Drawing on the mindset theory of action phases, our empirical study identifies a motivational and a volitional phase in the pre‐start‐up stage. Only during the motivational phase does entrepreneurial intention help identify future starters. Once individuals have crossed the so‐called entrepreneurial Rubicon, it no longer matters. We also show that, through this process, the support needs expressed by individuals evolve to become implementation‐driven. To our knowledge, this is the first study to apply the mindset theory of action phases to nascent entrepreneurship. We discuss key implications for researchers and practitioners.     

A longitudinal analysis of the influence of career motivations on entrepreneurial intention and action

The impact of career motivations on entrepreneurial intention and action remains in need of being investigated conjointly. Using a large sample and follow‐up data collected five years later, we investigate their influence on the entrepreneurial involvement of young adults, from the expression of an intention to entrepreneurial action. We show that only the search for job security seems to have a persistent effect throughout the process. In addition, autonomy is associated with the formation of intention, while wanting to manage full processes is related to actual start‐up participation. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications. © 2018 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.