Disability and entrepreneurial behavior: Psychological barriers, knowledge and enablers

Abstract

This study examines how psychological mechanisms shape entrepreneurial behavior among individuals with disabilities. Specifically, it investigates the relationships among self-stigma, resilience, self-efficacy, and entrepreneurial motivation, and how these factors interact under conditions of systemic exclusion. Drawing on survey data, this study employs binary structural equation modeling using Mplus. The results reveal that entrepreneurial self-efficacy negatively affects entrepreneurial motivation in this context, contrary to dominant theoretical assumptions. Notably, entrepreneurial self-efficacy has no significant effect on entrepreneurial behavior among individuals with disabilities, while entrepreneurial motivation serves as a key driver. Resilience, while undermining self-efficacy, significantly enhances motivation, and self-stigma exerts an indirect positive influence on entrepreneurial motivation. These findings indicate that the psychological mechanisms assumed to be universal in mainstream entrepreneurship theories might not apply in the same way to individuals with disabilities. Under conditions of structural inequality and social exclusion, psychological traits operate differently—and sometimes paradoxically—shaping entrepreneurial behavior in ways that diverge from conventional models. The findings suggest that disability entrepreneurship is not merely an extension of existing theories but a distinct domain requiring alternative analytical frameworks and theoretical reorientation.