Willing or unwilling to take entrepreneurial action? A French case study of aspiring entrepreneurs[Prêts ou réticents à se lancer dans l’entrepreneuriat ? Une étude de cas française sur les aspirants entrepreneurs »]

Entrepreneurship education is widely recognised as a key influence on the decision to start a business. However, many nascent entrepreneurs find it challenging to transform entrepreneurial intention into concrete action. This paper sheds light on the ambiguity of the entrepreneurial environment, the role of entrepreneurship skills and the personal experiences of aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly those characterised by disappointment and disengagement. A qualitative multiple case study was conducted through face-to-face interviews with eight individuals from a French business school. The aim of this exploratory study is to gain a better understanding of the combined barriers that hinder entrepreneurial engagement. While the empirical data is drawn from student cases, the findings may be relevant more broadly to early-stage entrepreneurship.