How Past Failure Predicts Subsequent Entrepreneurial Intention: A Comparative Study of Mainland China and Taiwan

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is the center of economic growth process, and it is context-sensitive. We compare Mainland China and Taiwan by investigating the impact of past failure on individual entrepreneurs. Using a large amount of data from GEM (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor), a logistic regression approach was adopted and most of the major variables in models are correlated positively. We demonstrate that past failure does affect entrepreneurs’ perceived capability and next enterprising activity positively in the two regions. Unlike the moderating role of culture, entrepreneurial motivation exerts a quite different impact on the relationship between past failure and entrepreneurs’ future intention in the two regions. Our results provide not only theoretical implications for context-related entrepreneurial motivation, but practical suggestions for entrepreneurs and policy makers.