Shapero model of Entrepreneurial Intention

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Directed by :                                                                     Framed by : 

Mustapha BEN MAGHA                                                                                             M. Mohamed BINKKOUR

Master EMPME

Academic Year 2017/2018

Introduction        

Entrepreneurship is considered as an essential pillar for the vitality of the economy. The entrepreneurial process begins with the detection of business opportunity followed by entrepreneurial intentions. Shapero's entrepreneurial intent model treats this second phase more deeply. This will allow us to understand the entrepreneurial environment and to have an idea about an essential aptitude to become an entrepreneur. What are the contributions of the Shapero model? And what are the criticisms made of this model?

Development

LITERATURE REVIEW :

According to Krueger (2009) : « Intentions are classically defined as the cognitive state temporally and causally prior to action »^[1]

Barbara Bird has explained that intentionality seems to be at the heart of entrepreneurial behavior (1988, 1989). During the same period, Katz and Gartner (1988) mentioned intentionality as one of the four critical facets of a new emerging enterprise.

For Akponi, M. : « Intentions signify the extent of enthusiasm toward some upcoming targeted behavior »^[2]

« Shapero recognized that there were forces that moderated the intent–behavior linkage. Complex goal-focused behaviors may require some sort of precipitating factor, whether the perceived presence of a facilitating factor or the removal of a perceived critical barrier. »^[3] Intentions anticipate and explain our behavior. On the other hand, « attitudes in the direction of behavior will surely have an effect on intentions. »^[4]

THE SHAPERO’S MODEL :

« The theory of the entrepreneurial event considers the creation of the result of the interaction among contextual factors, which would act through their influence on the individual's perceptions. The consideration of the entrepreneurial option would take as a consequence of some external change -a precipitating event- (Peterman & Kennedy, 2003). People's answers will depend on their event perceptions about the available alternatives. There are two basic types of perceptions:

- Perceived desirability refers to the degree to which a person feels an attraction towards a given behavior (to become an entrepreneur). Similarly,

- Perceived feasibility is defined as the degree to which people consider themselves able to carry out that behavior. The presence of role models, gold mentors partners would be a decisive element in establishing the individual's feasibility level.

In turn, both types of perceptions are determined by cultural and social factors through their influence on the individual's value system (Shapero & Sokol, 1982).

Therefore, external circumstances would not determine behaviors directly, but rather they would be the result of (conscious or unconscious) analysis carried out by the person about the desirability and feasibility of the different possible alternatives in that situation.

On the other hand, the remaining elements of the model are much more intuitive.

The first of them is attitude towards the behaviour: this refers to the degree to which the person holds a positive or negative valuation of that behaviour. Secondly, subjective norms would measure the perceived social pressure to carry it out -or not. These two elements, together with perceived control, would make up the explanatory variables of intention. Their relative contribution to the configuration of intention is not established in the model, as it may change from case to case. In particular, in the sixteen empirical studies analyzed by Ajzen (1991), subjective norms tended to contribute very weakly to the intention of carrying out different behaviours. Finally, the model assumes the existence of interactions among the three explanatory elements. »^[5]

Criticisms :

Indeed, the incompleteness of traditional models of intention is marked by their focus on the psychosociological perceptions of the individual, they ignored the organizational dimension of the entrepreneurial phenomenon. However, there is no doubt that seeking to model organizational intention (by questioning the individual on his strategic vision) as we invite it would lead to a profound epistemological change. The envisaged change would in particular encourage the use of qualitative methodologies rather than the quantitative methodologies currently used. But one can think that it is only at this price that the analysis of the entrepreneurial intention (with organizational aim) will not become a good predictor of the entrepreneurial engagement.

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