“I Want to Be Like You!”: The Influence of Role Models on Entrepreneurial Intention

Abstract

Explaining individual’s entrepreneurial intention is a central element in entrepreneurship research. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate that role models have an indirect effect on students’ entrepreneurial intention. We draw on a sample of 266 individuals and apply structural equation modeling. Our results show that role models have a positive and significant influence on entrepreneurial intention via the antecedents described in the theory of planned behavior, the entrepreneurial event model, and the integrated version of these models. With our study, we aim to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the path through which role models influence entrepreneurial intention.