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Aspiring to be an entrepreneur while on paid employment: A moderated mediation model of entrepreneur identity aspiration

Author

Listed:
  • Paterson, Ted A.
  • Huang, Lei
  • Li, Xiaolu
  • Yang, Dongtao

Abstract

For many who are on paid employment, becoming an entrepreneur one day is not just a dream but a constructed future self that is central to who they want to be and how they choose to think and act. Building on the reciprocal relationship proposed between agentic work behaviors and thriving in the socially-embedded model of thriving, we propose that those exploring an entrepreneur identity would be more likely to experience a state of thriving (i.e., learning and vitality) when under the supervision of a humble leader. We predicted that thriving would result in heedful relating in the context of the leader–follower relationship (co-production of leadership and upward delegation). Using time-lagged survey data collected from 241 employees and their direct supervisors, we found support for our hypotheses. We conclude with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of our study, its limitations, and future research directions.

Suggested Citation

  • Paterson, Ted A. & Huang, Lei & Li, Xiaolu & Yang, Dongtao, 2023. "Aspiring to be an entrepreneur while on paid employment: A moderated mediation model of entrepreneur identity aspiration," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:161:y:2023:i:c:s0148296323001947
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.113836
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. My-Linh Tran & Trinh Hoang Hong Hue & Huy-Cuong Vo Thai, 2026. "The transformative power of entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy on identity aspiration and nascent behaviours: evidence from Vietnam," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 1-25, December.
    2. B. Hamrick, Alexander & Murnieks, Charles Y. & A. Waddingham, Jacob, 2025. "Exploring my entrepreneurial self at work: How entrepreneurial identity aspiration influences employee intrapreneurial behaviors and work performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).

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