The motivation for entrepreneurship: Process theories

Abstract

Research on entrepreneurship has mainly focused on the environmental forces and characteristics of entrepreneurial opportunities. According to Shane et al. (2003), the study of the entrepreneurial process is interesting for the following reasons: first, entrepreneurship is the catalyst for innovation and technical progress and thus generates economic growth (Shumpeter, 1934). Secondly, entrepreneurial action balances supply and demand (Kirzner, 1997). Furthermore, according to Shane and Venkataraman (2000), the transformation of new knowledge into products and services depends on entrepreneurship. Finally, there is a need to understand the role of entrepreneurship in the development of human and intellectual capital (Zahra and Dess, 2001). Entrepreneurship involves the human factor (Shane et al., 2003). Firms are created when individuals seize opportunities. People vary in their willingness and ability to act on these opportunities, which has significant effects on the entrepreneurial process. Much research has been done on the issue of motivation and its impact on entrepreneurship. The phenomenon of motivation explains the functioning of human behaviour in two ways: firstly, it is the result of psychological development that begins early in childhood and continues throughout life and, secondly, it explains very well why the individual mobilises to achieve specific goals (Estay et al., 2011). The literature reveals that motivation results from the image that individuals have of themselves and their needs (Estay et al., 2013; Cromie, 2000). Entrepreneurial motivation is of course based on theories of motivation from management researchers and psychologists. A first definition of entrepreneurial motivation is therefore based on the desire to fulfil certain well-defined needs. Motivation is then based on needs and subsequently on values, goals, desires, intentions and rewards. There are also antecedents of motivation that influence the behaviour of entrepreneurs. In summary, scientific research in entrepreneurship is still young. Thus, it borrows certain paradigms and theories from different disciplinary fields within the social sciences, such as anthropology, psychology, sociology, economics, political science and philosophy. The theoretical basis for explaining entrepreneurial motivation is borrowed from social psychology. This approach is intended as a means of understanding the psychological processes that explain the behavioural choices made. This is why we believe that the development of entrepreneurship theory requires an analysis of the motivations of actors who decide to engage in such a process. Therefore, we will illustrate the process theories in order to understand the entrepreneur's way of acting in a general way.

Key words: Entrepreneurship, Motivation theory, Enterprise, Process theory.

JEL Classification: L26; O15

Paper type: Theoretical Research