The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a model that aims to explain individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) focused on the context of social entrepreneurship (SE) (Social-IEO) by considering the personal values and attitude toward social change through direct and indirect effects. To achieve this purpose, the authors created and validated a scale to measure Social-IEO.
The paper uses scale construction techniques (DeVellis, 2016) and survey method for data collection. As such, this study was conducted by considering a sample of 198 social entrepreneurs. Multivariate data analysis and structural equation modeling are used to validate the theoretical model.
The Social-IEO scale was validated and shows to adequately encompass and measure the construct. The proposed model has predictive relevance and explains 45% of Social-IEO. Findings suggest that self-transcendence value has no direct effect on Social-IEO. Additionally, conservation and self-promotion values do not have a negative correlation with Social-IEO. Finally, attitude of social change has a strong explanatory power to Social-IEO. The findings offer important theoretical and practical implications for the field of entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial behavior.
The definition of a specific concept of IEO applied to the context of SE contributes to the correct understanding of its dimensions, measurement and management. This eliminates a gap in studies and contributes to expand and strengthen research. It also provides an original empirical approach, as the method used to measure IEO in a reflective way is unusual in previous studies.
