Prior entrepreneurial exposures and entrepreneurial engagement: mediating role of psychological empowerment

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between prior entrepreneurship exposures (PEEs) and entrepreneurial engagement using survey data from 315 fresh graduates in Nigeria. A path analysis was adopted to test how PEE affects entrepreneurial engagement directly and indirectly. Psychological empowerment, which is decomposed as meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact, was utilized as the mediating variable for explaining the association between PEE and engagement in entrepreneurship. The result indicated that PEE was positively related to entrepreneurial engagement and that only three dimensions of psychological empowerment (meaning, competence, and self-determination) also played a mediating role in this relationship. We however did not find evidence that impact mediates the PEE-entrepreneurial engagement relationship in our study population. We discussed the implications of our findings and made suggestions for further studies.