The Impacts of Task- and Relationship-oriented Personal Initiative on Entrepreneurial Intention

Abstract

Previous research indicates an unclear relationship between personal initiative (PI) and entrepreneurial intention. Drawing upon existing literature, this study proposes that the two forms of PI (i.e., task- and relationship-oriented PI) influence entrepreneurial intention differently, and that such effects are transited through entrepreneurial self-efficacy. An analyses of 210 employees showed that task-oriented PI is negatively related to entrepreneurial intention, whereas relationship-oriented PI is positively related to entrepreneurial intention. It was further found that the effect of relationship-oriented PI on entrepreneurial intention is mediated by entrepreneurial self-efficacy, whereas the effect of task-oriented PI on entrepreneurial intention is not. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed.