Identification, intentions and entrepreneurial opportunities: an integrative process model

The purpose of this paper is to explore one of the cognitive processes whereby persons develop intentions to enact entrepreneurial behaviours via exploring entrepreneurial identification as a significant influence on an individual’s intentions to recognise and exploit opportunities.

In this conceptual paper, insights from Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour are utilised to develop propositions regarding the influence of entrepreneurial identification on intentions to search for opportunities and commit resources to exploiting opportunities. The role of two behavioural controls – entrepreneurial munificence and domain relevant knowledge – are discussed as influencing both an individual’s ability and desire to recognise and exploit opportunities. Opportunity recognition and exploitation are also suggested to reinforce an individual’s entrepreneurial identification, creating a recursive relationship between identification and entrepreneurial behaviour.

The lack of insight into cognitive processes has contributed to what some have labelled the “death” of intentions research in entrepreneurship. In exploring identification, this study suggests that measuring identification – in place of attitudes toward entrepreneurship – may actually refine analytical models based on Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour.

Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour has often been applied in entrepreneurial studies, but for the voluminous body of research devoted to intentions, little has delved into the cognitive processes whereby people develop intentions to entrepreneurial behaviours. This paper provides a conceptually unique marrying of identification with entrepreneurial intentions in an attempt to redress this gap in the entrepreneurship literature. This study also speculates as to how practitioners – educators, legislators or managers – might profitably use this study to guide their efforts to reinforce entrepreneurial behaviours in the classrooms, organisations and communities.