How does a subsequent entrepreneurship career choice develop? A set-theoretic analysis testing hope theory

Étienne St-Jean, Maripier Tremblay, Rahma Chouchane and François L’Écuyer

Journal of Small Business Management, 2025, vol. 63, issue 3, 1236-1267

Abstract: This research explores the complex mechanism leading to a subsequent entrepreneurship career choice (SECC), whether perceived as a failure or not. It mobilizes the theory of hope (via the role of optimism and grit) and the components of the theory of planned behavior (attitude, subjective norms, and self-efficacy). The study involved 48 previous entrepreneurs not currently in the reentry process. A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis was used. Results reveal that the entrepreneurial attitude forged through first-hand experience is the most critical element in understanding an SECC. Optimism can substitute for this attitude, and grit plays a lesser role, as do the other variables. This study underscores the central role of attitude and optimism in explaining entrepreneurial career persistence, transitioning from a novice to a serial entrepreneur, with grit playing a somewhat secondary role. Configurational approaches prove essential to understanding entrepreneurial intention, notably for an SECC.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/00472778.2024.2377674

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