2. Hypotheses and Model Development
The hypotheses and the predictive model proposed are presented below. The model has been designed to consider the contributions of other researchers in this field and use GEM variables and country data.
First, it has been found in the literature that entrepreneurial behaviour depends on contextual or environmental factors, which in turn influence personal variables
[25][46]. Among the environmental factors that influence entrepreneurship culture and education stand out
[47][48]. Regarding culture, it refers to the social value structure of a community or region
[49][50]. It should be noted that culture carries social legitimacy. Therefore, to the extent that a culture values entrepreneurship, it will be highly valued and socially accepted, thus creating a favourable and supportive context for entrepreneurship
[12][51][52].
On the other hand, education always considers the current socio-economic context, including the entrepreneurial field. Through educational design and practice and/or it will try to drive the changes and improvements that the context requires
[53][54]. In particular, it has been confirmed that culture and education directly influence the intention and action to create a new venture, and indirectly through the subject’s perceptions about the entrepreneurial context, in particular about the basic infrastructures for entrepreneurship
[55][56]. Considering the above, the first two hypotheses state:
Hypothesis 1 (H1).
According to GEM data, education and culture related to entrepreneurship directly and positively influence entrepreneurial intention and action.
Hypothesis 2 (H2).
According to GEM data, education and culture related to entrepreneurship directly and positively influence the perception of basic infrastructures for entrepreneurship.
Government policies and programmes to foster entrepreneurship at the regional level do not originate in a vacuum, but through interaction with the context
[57][58]. It has been found in the literature that such policies and programmes depend on demands related to the degree of adequacy of the physical, technological, financial and commercial infrastructures needed for entrepreneurship and existing in the region
[59][60]. It is one of the missions and social responsibilities of governments to facilitate the existence of a favourable context for entrepreneurship, improving access to finance and developing appropriate taxation, among other measures, all within the limits of their capabilities, principles and political inclination
[60][61][62]. It should be noted that, as in the private sector, the satisfaction of the needs, wants, and expectations of the recipients and beneficiaries of government policies have an impact on the perception of those policies, the reputation of the issuing organisation and the loyalty to it
[63][64]. So much so that governments and the public sector are using tools from the private sector to improve the adaptation of their policies to the context, such as market orientation
[59][65][66]. Considering the above, the following hypothesis is expressed as follows:
Hypothesis 3 (H3).
According to GEM data, perceptions about infrastructures and primary conditions for entrepreneurship directly and positively influence perceptions about government policies and programmes related to entrepreneurship.
The influence of government policies and programmes on people’s perceptions, in whatever domain they are targeted (e.g., health and education), is due to both internal subject and external factors
[67][68]. In particular, perceptions of government policies and programmes related to entrepreneurship, including those related to innovation, have been shown to influence perceptions of entrepreneurship opportunity and the ease of undertaking entrepreneurship
[48][69][70]. Such perceptions, which indirectly and positively influence entrepreneurial intention and action, are essential in the early stages of entrepreneurship
[71][72][73]. Entrepreneurs are risk takers (e.g., financial risks) and sensitive to institutional support or disincentive, whether real or only perceived. Thus, subjects who perceive opportunity and ease of entrepreneurship (e.g., legislative, governmental, and commercial) possess greater entrepreneurial intention and action. Their confidence, hope, and dispositional optimism are higher when the perceived risk is lower
[27][71][72]. Given the above, the following hypothesis states:
Hypothesis 4 (H4).
According to GEM data, perceptions about government policies and programmes on entrepreneurship positively and directly influence perceptions about entrepreneurial opportunities and facilities.
Subjective norm is defined as the belief that people close to the subject (e.g., family and friends) might accept or reject a particular behaviour
[25][24][74]. Therefore, the subjective norm represents a code of conduct that prescribes or prohibits behaviour in members of a group
[75][76]. Concerning antecedents, in the context of entrepreneurship, the perception of how contextual factors facilitate entrepreneurship has been shown to directly or indirectly influence subjective norm formation
[25][77][78]. It should be noted that the influence of perceptions and the power of the subjective norm is particularly relevant within the group of people whose influence contributes to maintaining perceptions and the subjective norm
[78][79][80]. Such influence is more significant when there are favourable expectations regarding the attainment of benefits from entrepreneurship and when the subject possesses a high self-concept of an entrepreneur
[81][82]. Therefore, the following hypothesis stipulates that:
Hypothesis 5 (H5).
According to GEM data, perceptions about entrepreneurial opportunities and facilities directly and positively influence subjective norms.
Values represent a person’s predisposition toward an object or behaviour, in this case, the behaviour of starting a new venture
[83][84]. Values are criteria for action at the origin of any behaviour, are highly stable and are formed during the socialisation process
[85][86]. There are many personal value categories associated with entrepreneurship, and some researchers claim that entrepreneurs can be differentiated from each other solely based on their value structure
[86][87]. Regarding the antecedents of personal values, the subjective norm has been found to influence their formation directly due to the motivational component that values possess
[88][89]. It has been shown that people adopt values when they perceive that other significant agents share these values
[78][88][90]. Thus, values represent the result of the subject’s self-adjustment effort to a social context
[91][92]. Based on the above, the following hypothesis states:
Hypothesis 6 (H6).
According to GEM data, the subjective norm directly and positively influences values related to entrepreneurship.
Values influence a multitude of variables. For example, it has been confirmed by several researchers that personal values influence self-efficacy and other related constructs, such as perceived control, the belief in personal agency and the competencies perceived by the subject, in this case, the entrepreneur
[91][93]. Particularly in the field of entrepreneurship, it has been shown that people who possess pro-entrepreneurship values, which depend on the subjective norm, are considered competent and self-efficacious in entrepreneurship
[94][95]. Self-efficacy is a central concept in the context of entrepreneurship. It is defined as an individual’s belief or confidence in his or her competence to mobilise the resources and activities necessary to successfully execute a specific task within a given context
[94][95][96]. The relationship between personal values and self-efficacy occurs within a motivational process of confirming attitudes, beliefs, perceptions and expectations, particularly in cultures that value and reward individual performance and achievement
[95][97][98].
Hypothesis 7 (H7).
According to GEM data, personal values related to entrepreneurship directly and positively influence entrepreneurial self-efficacy.
Entrepreneurial self-efficacy is the best predictor of entrepreneurial intention and start-up behaviour
[99][100][101]. It is a motivational and adequate antecedent of entrepreneurial intention and behaviour regardless of the regional level
[95][102]. Self-efficacy enables the entrepreneur to overcome challenges when starting up a business and use the negative feedback they receive to improve their performance in that process
[95][103][104].
Hypothesis 8 (H8).
According to GEM data, self-efficacy directly and positively influences entrepreneurial intention and start-up behaviour.
Figure 1 presents the model proposed. The model is in line with other models recently developed in the literature
[25][76]. As proposed by the GEM and other researchers, the model represents a unidirectional sequential path from contextual variables to personal variables, culminating in entrepreneurial intention and action
[43][105]. The model starts with three contextual variables: “Education and culture”, “Basic structure”, and “Politics and programmes”. These contextual variables, directly and indirectly, influence the “Ease and opportunity perception” variable, which connects the contextual variables with the personal variables (“Subjective norm”, “Personal values”, and “Personal self-efficacy”). The variable “Personal self-efficacy” is the one that directly influences the latent dependent variable, “Entrepreneurship intention and action”.
Figure 1. Research proposed model. Source: researchers.