Negative Life Events and Entrepreneurial Propensity: The Mediating Role of Resilience and Locus of Control

Abstract

This study aims to assess how negative life events, social norms, and need for achievement influence entrepreneurial propensity, and to examine whether resilience and locus of control mediate these relationships. To carry out this study, a quantitative methodology was used through questionnaires. The 584 validated questionnaires allowed the estimation of a structural equation model using the SMART PLS 4.0 software. The results of this study suggest that negative life events do not have a direct impact on entrepreneurial propensity, with locus of control, resilience, shame of failure and the need for achievement having a direct influence on the choice of an entrepreneurial career. This study offers a significant contribution to the literature on entrepreneurial behaviour, especially considering the scarcity of research in this area, particularly regarding the influence of negative life events throughout an individual’s life on entrepreneurial propensity. The research comprehensively explores the determinants, expanding existing theoretical foundations and providing new insights into how adverse experiences can shape and strengthen entrepreneurial capacity.