Affective Commitment in Entrepreneurial Students: The Effect of Environmental Factors

Nathalie Campos Valverde; Ronald Mora Esquivel; Juan Carlos Leiva; Karla Tamez Ramírez

doi:10.4067/s0718-27242026000100003

Authors

Nathalie Campos Valverde Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9402-7893
Ronald Mora Esquivel Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica
Juan Carlos Leiva Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica
Karla Tamez Ramírez Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4067/s0718-27242026000100003

Keywords:

Affective Commitment, Entrepreneurship, Subjective Norms, University Environment, Family Background

Abstract

Research on how affective commitment in entrepreneurs is shaped through contextual influence is limited, despite the relevance this entrepreneurial behavior has on venture outcomes. To address this knowledge gap, we present a theoretical framework to support our hypotheses and use a structural equation model to test them. We analyze the effects of the university environment, family entrepreneurial background, and subjective norms on the affective commitment of entrepreneur students using data from the 2018 Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students' Survey (GUESSS). Our results indicate a positive direct effect of the university environment and subjective norms on affective commitment. Furthermore, subjective norms mediate the relationships between the university environment and the family's entrepreneurial background and affective commitment, and the total influence effect of family background and university environment on affective commitment was proven to be statistically significant through bootstrapping. Our research makes a theoretical and empirical contribution to the literature on the mechanisms that shape affective commitment for student entrepreneurs since previous research has focused on personal traits instead of social environment. For practical implications, we underscore the importance of providing a university environment with resources such as courses, orientation, and support related to entrepreneurial behaviors, thereby equipping student entrepreneurs with the necessary tools for success and calling for awareness among family businesses that want to promote the continuance of entrepreneurial behaviors in their next generations.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Ronald Mora Esquivel, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica

PhD in Business Management, graduated from the University of Valencia, School of Economics, and professor at the School of Business Administration of the Costa Rican Institute of Technology since 1995, and official coordinator for Costa Rica for GUESSS. Co-author of multiple research articles focused on entrepreneurship, small business management, and innovation.

Juan Carlos Leiva, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica

PhD in Business Administration from the University of Valencia School of Economics, professor at the School of Business Administration of the Costa Rican Institute of Technology since 1998, and official coordinator for Costa Rica for GUESSS. Co-author of multiple research articles focused on entrepreneurship, small business management, and innovation.

Karla Tamez Ramírez, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica

Academic and researcher in topics related to the development of entrepreneurship, currently interested in the affective and contextual factors that influence the entrepreneurial commitment of students. She is a business consultant and coordinates support projects for SMEs and entrepreneurs. She has contributed to entrepreneurial training programs by promoting skills that foster innovation, inclusion, and leadership in the new generations of professionals.

References

Acock, A. C. (2013). Discovering structural equation modeling using Stata. Stata Press.

Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

Anwar ul Haq, M. A., Jingdong, Y., Usman, M., & Khalid, S. (2018). Factors affecting entrepreneurial behavior among employees in organizations: Mediating role of affective commitment. Journal of Enterprising Culture, 26(4), 349–378. https://doi.org/10.1142/s0218495818500139

Arshad, M., Farooq, O., Sultana, N., & Farooq, M. (2016). Determinants of individuals' entrepreneurial intentions: A gender-comparative study. Career Development International, 21(4), 318–339. https://doi.org/10.1108/cdi-10-2015-0135

Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 2(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.1

Bergmann, H., Hundt, C., & Sternberg, R. (2016). What makes student entrepreneurs? On the relevance (and irrelevance) of the university and the regional context for student start-ups. Small Business Economics, 47(1), 53–76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-016-9700-6

Blanco-Mesa, F., Niño-Amézquita, D., & Gutiérrez-Ayala, J. (2023). Intención emprendedora en estudiantes universitarios: Un análisis desde la teoría del comportamiento planificado en Colombia. Cuadernos de Gestión, 24(2), 83–94. https://doi.org/10.5295/cdg.221858fb

Bloemen-Bekx, M., Van Gils, A., Lambrechts, F., & Sharma, P. (2019). Nurturing offspring's affective commitment through informal family governance mechanisms. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 12(2), Article 100309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfbs.2019.100309

Blunch, N. J. (2016). Introduction to structural equation modeling using IBM SPSS Statistics and EQS. SAGE Publications.

Cabana-Villca, R., Cortes-Castillo, I., Plaza-Pasten, D., Castillo-Vergara, M., & Alvarez-Marin, A. (2013). Análisis de las capacidades emprendedoras potenciales y efectivas en alumnos de centros de educación superior. Journal of Technology Management & Innovation, 8(1), 65–75. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-27242013000100007

Calvo, N., Neira, I., & Atrio, Y. (2023). Analysis of entrepreneurs' motivations and role models for growth expectations in the time of coronavirus. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 20(1), 841–866. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-023-00905-x

Calza, F., Cannavale, C., & Nadali, I. Z. (2020). How do cultural values influence entrepreneurial behavior of nations? A behavioral reasoning approach. International Business Review, 29(5), Article 101725. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2020.101725

Campos-Valverde, N., Leiva, J. C., & Mora, R. (2024). Affective commitment in entrepreneurial students: Person-oriented factors and subjective firm performance. Management Research: Journal of the Iberoamerican Academy of Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/mrjiam-10-2023-1466

Cardella, G. M., Barba-Sánchez, V., Meseguer-Martinez, Á., Hernández-Sánchez, B., & Sánchez-García, J. C. (2024). Analyzing university students' entrepreneurial intentions under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 20(1), 2567–2590. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-024-00945-x

Cote, J. A., & Buckley, M. R. (1987). Estimating trait, method, and error variance: Generalizing across 70 construct validation studies. Journal of Marketing Research, 24(3), 315–318. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378702400308

Dawson, A., Irving, P. G., Sharma, P., Chirico, F., & Marcus, J. (2014). Behavioural outcomes of next-generation family members' commitment to their firm. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 23(4), 570–581. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432x.2013.781155

Dawson, A., Sharma, P., Irving, P. G., Marcus, J., & Chirico, F. (2015). Predictors of later-generation family members' commitment to family enterprises. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 39(3), 545–569. https://doi.org/10.1111/etap.12052

Delgado-Piña, M. I., Gómez-Martínez, L., Romero-Martínez, A. M., & Vázquez-Inchausti, E. (2008). Determinantes sociales y cognitivos en el espíritu emprendedor: Un estudio exploratorio entre estudiantes argentinos. Cuadernos de Gestión, 8(1), 11–24. https://doi.org/10.5295/cdg.19105md

Dileo, I., & Pereiro, T. G. (2019). Assessing the impact of individual and context factors on the entrepreneurial process: A cross-country multilevel approach. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 15(4), 1393–1441. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-018-0528-1

Dotong, E. J., & Manalang, M. G. (2023). The entrepreneurial intention of business students: Applying the theory of planned behavior and theory of reasoned action. European Journal of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, 1(5), 21–32. https://doi.org/10.59324/ejtas.2023.1(5).03

Escandón-Barbosa, D. M., Urbano, D., Hurtado-Ayala, A., Paramo, J. S., & Dominguez, A. Z. (2019). Formal institutions, informal institutions and entrepreneurial activity: A comparative relationship between rural and urban areas in Colombia. Journal of Urban Management, 8(3), 458–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jum.2019.06.002

Figueiredo-Nery, M. A. N., & Figueiredo, P. N. (2008). Forming entrepreneurial mindsets? Preliminary evidence of teaching practices from primary schools in a developing area in South America. Journal of Technology Management & Innovation, 3(2), 1–17. https://www.jotmi.org/index.php/GT/article/view/art75

Franke, N., & Lüthje, C. (2004). Entrepreneurial intentions of business students — A benchmarking study. International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management, 1(3), 269–288. https://doi.org/10.1142/s0219877004000209

García-Cruz, J., & Real-Fernández, J. C. (2018). Confianza como consecuencia del compromiso percibido: Implicaciones sobre el aprendizaje y la innovación. Cuadernos de Gestión, 13(1), 95–124. https://doi.org/10.5295/cdg.110282jg

Gimenez-Jimenez, D., Edelman, L. F., Minola, T., Calabrò, A., & Cassia, L. (2021). An intergeneration solidarity perspective on succession intentions in family firms. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 45(4), 740–766. https://doi.org/10.1177/1042258720956384

GUESSS. (2003–2024). Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students' Survey. https://www.guesssurvey.org/goals/

Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate data analysis. Cengage Learning.

Hayes, A. F. (2017). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. Guilford Publications.

Hmieleski, K. M., & Sheppard, L. D. (2019). The Yin and Yang of entrepreneurship: Gender differences in the importance of communal and agentic characteristics for entrepreneurs' subjective well-being and performance. Journal of Business Venturing, 34(4), 709–730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2018.06.006

House, R. J., Hanges, P. J., Javidan, M., Dorfman, P. W., & Gupta, V. (2004). Culture, leadership, and organizations: The GLOBE study of 62 societies. SAGE Publications.

Jakobsen, T. G., & Mehmetoglu, M. (2016). Applied statistics using Stata: A guide for the social sciences. SAGE Publications.

Jussim, L., Coleman, L. M., & Lerch, L. (1987). The nature of stereotypes: A comparison and integration of three theories. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(3), 536–546. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.52.3.536

Kleine, A.-K., Schmitt, A., & Wisse, B. M. (2024). Financial stress and quit intention: The mediating role of entrepreneurs' affective commitment. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 20(1), 1487–1510. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-024-00972-8

Kline, R. B. (2005). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. Guilford Press.

Lahti, T., Halko, M.-L., Karagozoglu, N., & Wincent, J. (2019). Why and how do founding entrepreneurs bond with their ventures? Neural correlates of entrepreneurial and parental bonding. Journal of Business Venturing, 34(2), 368–388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2018.05.001

Laskovaia, A., Shirokova, G., & Morris, M. H. (2017). National culture, effectuation, and new venture performance: Global evidence from student entrepreneurs. Small Business Economics, 49(3), 687–709. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-017-9852-z

Lechuga-Sancho, M. P., Martín-Navarro, A., & Ramos-Rodríguez, A. R. (2020). Will they end up doing what they like? The moderating role of the attitude towards entrepreneurship in the formation of entrepreneurial intentions. Studies in Higher Education, 45(2), 416–433. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1539959

Lechuga-Sancho, M. P., Ramos-Rodríguez, A. R., & Vega, M. Á. F. (2021). Is a favorable entrepreneurial climate enough to become an entrepreneurial university? An international study with GUESSS data. The International Journal of Management Education, 19(3), Article 100536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2021.100536

Lecuna, A. (2014). High income inequality as a structural factor in entrepreneurial activity. Journal of Technology Management & Innovation, 9(1), 13–26. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-27242014000100002

Lee, S. M., & Peterson, S. J. (2000). Culture, entrepreneurial orientation, and global competitiveness. Journal of World Business, 35(4), 401–416. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1090-9516(00)00045-6

Liñán, F., & Chen, Y.-W. (2009). Development and cross-cultural application of a specific instrument to measure entrepreneurial intentions. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 33(3), 593–617. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2009.00318.x

Mainela, T., Puhakka, V., & Sipola, S. (2018). International entrepreneurship beyond individuals and firms: On the systemic nature of international opportunities. Journal of Business Venturing, 33(4), 534–550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2018.04.002

Marchisio, G., Mazzola, P., Sciascia, S., Miles, M., & Astrachan, J. (2010). Corporate venturing in family business: The effects on the family and its members. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 22(3–4), 349–377. https://doi.org/10.1080/08985621003726168

Martínez-Bobillo, A., Rodríguez-Sanz, J. A., & Tejerina-Gaite, F. (2021). Variables explicativas y predictivas de la capacidad de emprendimiento e innovación: Evidencia en las empresas familiares. Cuadernos de Gestión, 21(2), 63–76. https://doi.org/10.5295/cdg.201329am

Marzo-Navarro, M., Pedraja-Iglesias, M., & Rivera-Torres, P. (2006). Las deficiencias formativas en la Educación Superior: El caso de las Ingenierías. Cuadernos de Gestión, 6(1), 27–44. https://doi.org/10.5295/cdg.19150mm

Meyer, J. P., Allen, N. J., & Smith, C. A. (1993). Commitment to organizations and occupations: Extension and test of a three-component conceptualization. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78(4), 538–551. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.78.4.538

Meyer, J. P., & Herscovitch, L. (2001). Commitment in the workplace: Toward a general model. Human Resource Management Review, 11(3), 299–326. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1053-4822(00)00053-x

Moreno-Gómez, J., Gómez-Araujo, E., & Castillo-De Andreis, R. (2019). Parental role models and entrepreneurial intentions in Colombia: Does gender play a moderating role? Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, 12(3), 413–429. https://doi.org/10.1108/jeee-04-2019-0048

Morris, M. H., Shirokova, G., & Tsukanova, T. (2017). Student entrepreneurship and the university ecosystem: A multi-country empirical exploration. European Journal of International Management, 11(1), 65–85. https://doi.org/10.1504/ejim.2017.081251

Muralidharan, E., & Pathak, S. (2017). Informal institutions and international entrepreneurship. International Business Review, 26(2), 288–302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2016.07.006

Murnieks, C. Y., Cardon, M. S., & Haynie, J. M. (2020). Fueling the fire: Examining identity centrality, affective interpersonal commitment and gender as drivers of entrepreneurial passion. Journal of Business Venturing, 35(1), Article 105909. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2018.10.007

Nazarian, A., Atkinson, P., & Foroudi, P. (2017). Influence of national culture and balanced organizational culture on the hotel industry's performance. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 63(1), 22–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2017.01.003

Nitzl, C., Roldan, J. L., & Cepeda, G. (2016). Mediation analysis in partial least squares path modeling: Helping researchers discuss more sophisticated models. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 116(9), 1849–1864. https://doi.org/10.1108/imds-07-2015-0302

North, D. C. (1990). Institutions, institutional change, and economic performance. Cambridge University Press.

Olarewaju, A. D., Gonzalez-Tamayo, L. A., Maheshwari, G., & Ortiz-Riaga, M. C. (2022). Student entrepreneurial intentions in emerging economies: Institutional influences and individual motivations. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 30(3), 475–500. https://doi.org/10.1108/jsbed-05-2022-0230

Podsakoff, P. M., Podsakoff, N. P., Williams, L. J., Huang, C., & Yang, J. (2023). Common method bias: It's bad, it's complex, it's widespread, and it's not easy to fix. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 11(1), 17–61. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-110721-040030

Rivero, C. A. P., & Ubierna, F. (2021). The development of the entrepreneurial motivation from the university. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 17(3), 1313–1334. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-020-00723-5

Robinson, D. F. (2008). Planting the seeds of effective entrepreneurship by teaching risk, advising, and design through growth. Journal of Technology Management & Innovation, 3(2), 29–35. https://www.jotmi.org/index.php/GT/article/view/art77

Romaní, G., Soria-Barreto, K., Honores-Marín, G., Escorcia, R. R., & Rueda, J. (2022). Not like my parents! The intention to become a successor of Latin American students with entrepreneur parents. Sustainability, 14(3), Article 1193. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031193

Sallan, J. M., Simo, P., Fernandez, V., & Enache, M. (2018). Estudio de la relación entre el compromiso organizativo y la intención de abandonar la organización: Modelo de dos componentes de compromiso de continuidad. Cuadernos de Gestión, 10(2), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.5295/cdg.090151js

Shirokova, G., Morris, M. H., Laskovaia, A., & Micelotta, E. (2021). Effectuation and causation, firm performance, and the impact of institutions: A multi-country moderation analysis. Journal of Business Research, 129(1), 169–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.02.045

Soria-Barreto, K., Honores-Marín, G., Gutierrez-Zepeda, P., & Gutierrez-Rodriguez, J. (2017). Prior exposure and educational environment towards entrepreneurial intention. Journal of Technology Management & Innovation, 12(2), 45–58. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-27242017000200006

Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (2004). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In J. T. Jost & J. Sidanius (Eds.), Political psychology: Key readings (pp. 276–293). Psychology Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203505984-16

Teo, S., Bentley, T., & Nguyen, D. (2020). Psychosocial work environment, work engagement, and employee commitment: A moderated, mediation model. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 88(1), Article 102415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.102415

Uriarte, S., Espinoza-Benavides, J., & Ribeiro-Soriano, D. (2023). Engagement in entrepreneurship after business failure. Do formal institutions and culture matter? International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 19(2), 941–973. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-023-00829-6

Voordeckers, W., Martinez-Romero, M. J., & Rojo-Ramirez, A. A. (2024). Family governance practices and the minimum required rate of return in privately held family firms. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 19(1), 941–973. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-024-00952-y

Weiss, H. M., & Cropanzano, R. (1996). Affective events theory: A theoretical discussion of the structure, causes, and consequences of affective experiences at work. Research in Organizational Behavior, 18(1), 1–74.