Personality Traits, Entrepreneurial Drive, Cyber Entrepreneurial Intention: Literature Reviews And Model Crafting

Abstract

With the steady rise of the internet at the global extent, cyber entrepreneurship is a newly emerging career choice among graduates. In Malaysia, the auspicious potential of cyber entrepreneurship is further enhanced as the driver of a nation’s socioeconomic development. Although a substantial result obtained from various researches has advocated the importance of cyber entrepreneurship, studies that revolve around the intention to be involved in cyber entrepreneurship in the context of university students in Malaysia are relatively limited and inadequate. Prior studies have emphasized on the role of personality traits which act as one of the key determinants of cyber entrepreneurial intention. Other than that, the mechanism with which personality traits exert significant influence on cyber entrepreneurial intention is also scarce. On the other hand, entrepreneurial drive acting as the mediator in the relationship between personality traits and cyber entrepreneurial intention have not been intensively studied. Therefore, in tune with the findings from the previous studies, the aim of this study is to provide an assessment and synthesis of literature and subsequently craft a model linking personality traits (need for achievement and pro-activeness) and the cyber entrepreneurial intention of university undergraduate students in Malaysia with entrepreneurial drive acting as a mediator.

Keywords: Cyber entrepreneurial intentionpersonality traitsneed for achievementpro-activenessentrepreneurial drive

Introduction

Entrepreneurship helps improve overall quality of life, provide employment opportunities, boost the productivity of sectors, stimulate economic advancement, and encourage social mobility, all of which are instrumental in developing the socio-economy (Reynolds, 2007). Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs are deemed as highly crucial as the accelerator of a nation’s economic growth (Mat et al., 2015). Policymakers regard entrepreneurship from the economic perspective and as the provider of job opportunities. Meanwhile, entrepreneurs view entrepreneurship as opportunity capitalisation that would grant attainment and a meaningful career (Kuckertz & Wagner, 2010).

In the era where the internet is practically accessible to the vast majority of the world’s population, it is fitting for young people, especially graduates to take part in a business with Internet as the medium. This is because the internet would make it easier for them to communicate with people at every corner of the world while simultaneously making it a career choice. Since the rise of the technology innovation, choosing Internet based entrepreneur to be a possible profession should be obligatory to help in decreasing unemployment rates, parallel with the government’s inclination for economic development (Ismail et al., 2012).

Zhao and Seibert (2006) posited that based on entrepreneurial research, individual factors are suggested as among the most important determinants of entrepreneurship with personality being one of the most significant factors. According to Sesen (2013), personality factors and attitudes have impactful outcomes on intentions to engage in entrepreneurial acts.

Various studies had examined the impact of individual qualities on entrepreneurial intention including the need for achievement (Kristiansen & Indarti, 2004), pro-active personality (Becherer & Maurer, 1999; Kickul & Zaper, 2000) and locus of control (Mazzarol et al., 1999). Based on numerous studies by researchers, two of the core personality characteristic which strongly influenced entrepreneurship are the need for achievement (Shane et al., 2003; Kristiansen & Indarti, 2004) and pro-activeness (Becherer & Maurer, 1999; Kickul & Zaper, 2000).

Entrepreneurial drive is another key individual factor that has been used to predict entrepreneurial intention. Entrepreneurial drive has been posited as the combination of both perceived desirability and perceived feasibility (Florin et al., 2007). Students who reported to have higher perceived desirability and perceived feasibility are more inclined to venture into business as entrepreneurs (Solesvik et al., 2012). It is the driving force that would increase the intention of students to be entrepreneurs. The emergence and growth of technology have evolved various aspects of life, such as business affairs, communication, social activities, and others into a new spectrum (Karim et al., 2009). Thus, from the business perspective, there are fewer restrictions on rules regarding business activities (Rutkowski, 2000). Therefore, the aim of this paper is to review the literature and explore the potential role of two personality traits (need for achievement and pro-activeness) and entrepreneurial drive on cyber entrepreneurial intention in the context of university undergraduate students in Malaysia.

Problem Statement

Research Questions

• Do personality traits (need for achievement and pro-activeness) affect cyber entrepreneurial intention?

• Does entrepreneurial drive affect cyber entrepreneurial intention?

• Does entrepreneurial drive mediate the relationship between personality traits (need for achievement and pro-activeness) and cyber entrepreneurial intention?

Purpose of the Study

Based on the discussion made in the Introduction section, this study aims to review the extant literature and subsequently craft a model linking personality traits (need for achievement and pro-activeness), entrepreneurial drive and cyber entrepreneurial intention.

Research Methods

Since the purpose of the study is to craft a model linking personality traits (need for achievement and pro-activeness), entrepreneurial drive and cyber entrepreneurial intention, a systematic review of the literature was conducted using an archival method to attain the stated purpose of the study and answer the research questions. This study was built on a robust theoretical framework combined with secondary data and applied the methodology of reviewing articles cited in databases, namely, Elsevier, Science Direct, and Emerald Insight with the topic of personality traits and cyber entrepreneurial intention with entrepreneurial drive as the mediator.

Findings

Underlying Theory

In this study, the fitting theory is the attraction-selection-attrition (ASA) model by Schneider (1987). ASA has been used to explore the role of personality traits in influencing entrepreneurial career intention, as the model posits that people usually prefer to choose to work in an environment with others that exhibit a matching personality to their own (Schneider, 1987). Şahin et al. (2019) proposed that entrepreneurs are individuals who tend to venture into business since they are expected to operate independently. Based on the model, Zhao and Seibert (2006) postulated that people with a particular personality would engage in entrepreneurship more than others and are more likely to be selected by the business negotiator involved in venture creation’s affair. They also stated that these individuals are more strong-minded in creating a business and subsequently becoming entrepreneurs since they find entrepreneurial activities to be appealing.

Based on the review and synthesis of the extant literature, a model has been developed as shown in Figure 1 , which highlights two key personality traits (need for achievement and pro-activeness) as the independent variables, with the cyber entrepreneurial intention being dependent variable and entrepreneurial drive as mediating variable.

See Full Size >

Conclusion

The young generation is one of the nation’s most valuable asset. The increasing number of university graduates each year has led to a situation of a surplus of graduates. Meanwhile, demand for new workers is decreasing substantially. Given this worrisome state of unemployment involving youths in Malaysia, there is an urgent need for university graduates to start considering to be a prospective cyber entrepreneurs. The government, universities as well as students should work together in addressing unemployment issue so that the talents of young and fresh graduates and government resources are not wasted while simultaneously facilitating the country’s socio-economic development. An extensive review of prior literature has demonstrated the significant role of personality traits (need for achievement and pro-activeness) in influencing students’ cyber entrepreneurial intention. Hence, a conceptual model has been crafted where two personality traits (need for achievement and pro-activeness) are postulated as the antecedents of cyber entrepreneurial intention. Also, since the nature of intention is not spontaneous, entrepreneurial drive has been posited to be a possible mediator between the personality traits (need for achievement and pro-activeness) and cyber entrepreneurial intention.

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