Locus of Control, Need for Achievement, and Entrepreneurial Intention: a Moderated Mediation Model

Abstract

Applying social cognitive career theory (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 2002) to entrepreneurship, this paper addresses the effects of locus of control and need for achievement on entrepreneurial intentions, and whether the effects are mediated by entrepreneurial self-efficacy and vary according to sex. The participants were 111 students enrolled in the business administration program in Turkey. Using longitudinal survey data, the research model was tested with the moderated mediation procedure suggested by Hayes (2013). The findings showed that entrepreneurial self-efficacy mediated the relationship between locus of control and entrepreneurial intention, as well as the relationship between need for achievement and entrepreneurial intention. Moreover, the conditional indirect analysis showed that the effect of locus of control on entrepreneurial intention depended on sex, with the effect of locus of control being greater for men. By showing empirical evidence for the usefulness of social cognitive career theory to entrepreneurship, our research adds to current literature. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are discussed.