TY - JOUR

T1 - Unpacking the nonlinear effect of self-efficacy in entrepreneurship

T2 - Why and under which condition more is not better

AU - Uy, Marilyn A.

AU - Sun, Shuhua

AU - Gielnik, Michael M.

AU - Jacob, Gabriel Henry

AU - Lagdameo, John Luis D.

AU - Miclat, Armando G.

AU - Osi, Enrico C.

N1 - Funding Information: We would like to thank Per Davidsson and participants of the 2022 Australian Center for Entrepreneurship Research Exchange (ACERE) for their helpful comments on the earlier drafts of this manuscript. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PY - 2024/3/1

Y1 - 2024/3/1

N2 - Self-efficacy exerts a positive impact on several self-regulatory functions to support goal accomplishment and performance. However, in contexts that are characterized by uncertainty and ambiguity, such as entrepreneurship, there might be a tipping point to this relationship, prompting calls for deeper investigations on the nonlinear effect. In particular, the underlying mechanisms explaining why and when the nonlinear effect occurs are unclear. Drawing on theories of self-regulation, we examine the nonlinear effect of entrepreneurial self-efficacy on venture goal progress through the entrepreneur's active feedback-seeking and venture effort. We also propose that the entrepreneur's state error mastery orientation moderates the nonlinear effect. Conducting a six-wave repeated measures study among 84 early-stage entrepreneurs in a business accelerator in the Philippines, we use a within-person approach to test our hypotheses and research model. Results suggest that self-regulatory mechanisms in terms of feedback seeking, effort, and state error mastery orientation help to unpack why and when self-efficacy exerts a nonlinear effect on performance outcomes.

AB - Self-efficacy exerts a positive impact on several self-regulatory functions to support goal accomplishment and performance. However, in contexts that are characterized by uncertainty and ambiguity, such as entrepreneurship, there might be a tipping point to this relationship, prompting calls for deeper investigations on the nonlinear effect. In particular, the underlying mechanisms explaining why and when the nonlinear effect occurs are unclear. Drawing on theories of self-regulation, we examine the nonlinear effect of entrepreneurial self-efficacy on venture goal progress through the entrepreneur's active feedback-seeking and venture effort. We also propose that the entrepreneur's state error mastery orientation moderates the nonlinear effect. Conducting a six-wave repeated measures study among 84 early-stage entrepreneurs in a business accelerator in the Philippines, we use a within-person approach to test our hypotheses and research model. Results suggest that self-regulatory mechanisms in terms of feedback seeking, effort, and state error mastery orientation help to unpack why and when self-efficacy exerts a nonlinear effect on performance outcomes.

KW - action regulation

KW - active feedback seeking

KW - entrepreneurial self-efficacy

KW - error mastery orientation

KW - self-regulation

KW - venture effort

KW - venture goal progress

KW - Psychology

KW - Business psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85170580705&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/f79cec37-5973-389f-80a9-0896b4e9f6f4/

U2 - 10.1111/peps.12618

DO - 10.1111/peps.12618

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85170580705

VL - 77

SP - 81

EP - 108

JO - Personnel Psychology

JF - Personnel Psychology

SN - 0031-5826

IS - 1

ER -