IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i20p8853-d1497614.html

Career Booster or Dead End? The Double-Edged Sword Effects of Entrepreneurial Fear of Failure on Entrepreneurial Exit Intentions in the Process of Sustainable Entrepreneurship

Author

Listed:
  • Hangyu Shi

    (College of Business Administration, Huaqiao University, Quanzhou 362021, China)

  • Hongtao Yang

    (College of Business Administration, Huaqiao University, Quanzhou 362021, China)

Abstract

Based on self-regulation theory, this paper constructs two paths through which entrepreneurial fear of failure affects entrepreneurial exit intentions, and explores the moderating effect of the locus of control. We analyze a sample of 308 entrepreneurs from small and medium-sized private enterprises located in Southeast China. The results shown that entrepreneurial fear of failure not only stimulates entrepreneurial identity centrality in a self-regulated driving state but also leads to emotional exhaustion in a state of self-regulated depletion, with two effects on entrepreneurial exit intentions. The facilitating effect of entrepreneurial fear of failure on entrepreneurial identity centrality is stronger for internals than externals, whereas the facilitating effect of entrepreneurial fear of failure on emotional exhaustion is stronger for externals than internals. This research provides a theoretical basis and managerial insights for using entrepreneurial fear of failure to motivate its promoting effects and inhibit its hindering effects on sustainable entrepreneurship.

Suggested Citation

  • Hangyu Shi & Hongtao Yang, 2024. "Career Booster or Dead End? The Double-Edged Sword Effects of Entrepreneurial Fear of Failure on Entrepreneurial Exit Intentions in the Process of Sustainable Entrepreneurship," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-16, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:20:p:8853-:d:1497614
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/20/8853/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/20/8853/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mitchell, J. Robert & Shepherd, Dean A., 2010. "To thine own self be true: Images of self, images of opportunity, and entrepreneurial action," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 138-154, January.
    2. Shepherd, Dean & Haynie, J. Michael, 2009. "Birds of a feather don't always flock together: Identity management in entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 24(4), pages 316-337, July.
    3. Cacciotti, Gabriella & Hayton, James C. & Mitchell, J. Robert & Allen, David G., 2020. "Entrepreneurial fear of failure: Scale development and validation," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 35(5).
    4. Davide Hahn, 2020. "The psychological well-being of student entrepreneurs: a social identity perspective," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 467-499, June.
    5. Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa & Smyth, Russell & Trinh, Trong-Anh, 2023. "Negative life events and entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PB).
    6. C. Troise & D. Matricano & E. Candelo & L. Schjoedt, 2022. "A ten-year cross-national examination of the dance between intuition and rationality in entrepreneurial processes," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 663-692, June.
    7. Gry Agnete Alsos & Tommy Høyvarde Clausen & Ulla Hytti & Sølvi Solvoll, 2016. "Entrepreneurs’ social identity and the preference of causal and effectual behaviours in start-up processes," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(3-4), pages 234-258, March.
    8. Gabriella Cacciotti & James C. Hayton, 2014. "Fear of Failure and Entrepreneurship: A review and direction for future research," Research Papers 0024, Enterprise Research Centre.
    9. Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa & Smyth, Russell, 2021. "Locus of control and energy poverty," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Stroe, Silvia & Sirén, Charlotta & Shepherd, Dean & Wincent, Joakim, 2020. "The dualistic regulatory effect of passion on the relationship between fear of failure and negative affect: Insights from facial expression analysis," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 35(4).
    2. Sönke Mestwerdt & Matthias Mrożewski & Christoph Seckler, 2025. "An institutional perspective on fear of failure and its effects across three entrepreneurship stages," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-25, December.
    3. Darden, Bryan B. & Kellermanns, Franz W. & Best, Emma L., 2022. "Entrepreneurial fear of failure: Transgender versus cis-gender entrepreneurs," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 18(C).
    4. David L. Brannon & Johan Wiklund & J. Michael Haynie, 2013. "The Varying Effects of Family Relationships in Entrepreneurial Teams," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(1), pages 107-132, January.
    5. Holger Patzelt & Dean A. Shepherd, 2024. "A fatigue model of social venturing," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(3), pages 1065-1088, October.
    6. Elham Garmroudesfandiari & Vajihe Baghersad & Morteza Akbari, 2025. "Unlocking entrepreneurial potential: unveiling the role of both types of institutional forces," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 15(1), pages 1-20, December.
    7. Lahti, Tom & Halko, Marja-Liisa & Karagozoglu, Necmi & Wincent, Joakim, 2019. "Why and how do founding entrepreneurs bond with their ventures? Neural correlates of entrepreneurial and parental bonding," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 368-388.
    8. Brindha Srinivasan & Latasri Hazarika & M.K. Nandakumar, 2024. "‘Does Confidence Matter?’: Impact of Entrepreneurs’ Confidence on Fear of Failure," IIM Kozhikode Society & Management Review, , vol. 13(2), pages 242-252, July.
    9. Rössig, Sarah-Alena & Vera Hedwig Schmidt, Corinna & Schrewentigges, Lisa & Strese, Steffen, 2025. "Is it contagious? The effect of fear of failure on employee satisfaction," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    10. Clarysse, Bart & Andries, Petra & Boone, Sarah & Roelandt, Jolien, 2023. "Institutional logics and founders' identity orientation: Why academic entrepreneurs aspire lower venture growth," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(3).
    11. Nadav Shir & Johan Wiklund & Srikant Manchiraju, 2025. "Satisfaction with Life as an Entrepreneur: From Early Volition to Eudaimonia," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 199(4), pages 777-798, July.
    12. Mariacarmela Passarelli & Giuseppe Bongiorno, 2025. "Is it the time to reshape entrepreneurship education? State-of-the-art and further perspectives," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-35, December.
    13. Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa & Smyth, Russell & Trinh, Trong-Anh, 2022. "Energy poverty, temperature and climate change," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    14. Nabiha Nefzi, 2018. "Fear Of Failure And Entrepreneurial Risk Perception," International Journal of Entrepreneurial Knowledge, Center for International Scientific Research of VSO and VSPP, vol. 6(2), pages 45-58, December.
    15. Przemyslaw Zbierowski, 2015. "Positive Entrepreneurship: Antecedents and Outcomes of Entrepreneurship within Positive Organizational Scholarship (Przedsiebiorczosc pozytywna – przyczyny i rezultaty przedsiebiorczosci z zakresu pozytywnej teorii organizacji)," Problemy Zarzadzania, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, vol. 13(56), pages 38-54.
    16. Yuval Engel & Stephany Noordijk & Afra Spoelder & Marco van Gelderen, 2021. "Self-Compassion When Coping With Venture Obstacles: Loving-Kindness Meditation and Entrepreneurial Fear of Failure," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(2), pages 263-290, March.
    17. Dafna Kariv & Carlo Giglio & Vincenzo Corvello, 2025. "Fostering Entrepreneurial intentions: exploring the interplay of education and endogenous factors," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-27, December.
    18. Andranik Tumasjan & Isabell Welpe & Matthias Spörrle, 2013. "Easy Now, Desirable Later: The Moderating Role of Temporal Distance in Opportunity Evaluation and Exploitation," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(4), pages 859-888, July.
    19. Cheng, Zhiming & Guo, Liwen & Smyth, Russell & Tani, Massimiliano, 2022. "Childhood adversity and energy poverty," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    20. Norin Arshed & Graeme Martin & Stephen Knox, 2023. "Ties That Bind or Blind? The Role of Identity and Place in Understanding Women Entrepreneurs’ Support Needs," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(6), pages 2205-2232, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:20:p:8853-:d:1497614. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.