[Abstract]
The current socioeconomic condition in South Korea is characterized by early retirement and a shift toward an elderly society. The fact that the age group of 50 or older is about 46.7% of total workforce poses a threat for future economic growth crisis. (The fact that the age group of 50 or older composes 46.7% of the total workforce could be a detrimental factor for future economic growth.) Even now in South Korea's contemporary society, the retired workforce suffers economically as well as socially.
To solve these socioeconomic problems, Small Business Administration is running many different projects and public policies to support senior entrepreneurship. Recently, developed countries such as the U.S., England, Australia and New Zealand have recognized the importance of senior entrepreneurship and are performing various research to systemize concepts for senior entrepreneurship.
TTo solve these socioeconomic problems, the Small Business Administration is running many different projects and public policies to support senior entrepreneurship. Recently, developed countries such as the United States, England, Australia and New Zealand have recognized the importance of senior entrepreneurship and are performing various research to systemize concepts for senior entrepreneurship.
The purpose of this research was to explain the concept of senior entrepreneurship and the importance of it by systemizing the relationship between beginner entrepreneur and entrepreneurial intention. As the ultimate objective of this research is to develop a systematic strategy to enhance the current entrepreneurial decision making process for senior entrepreneurs, the focus of this research has been set to the details about factors and mechanisms that influences start ups by senior entrepreneurs. Importantly, to identify general process of senior entrepreneurship, Ajzen's (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior model was used.
After reviewing the relevant literature, we developed a model and set our research hypotheses as follows H1: Risk taking will have a positive effect on entrepreneurial attitude. H2: Autonomy will have a positive effect on entrepreneurial attitude. H3 : Proactiveness will have a positive effect on entrepreneurial attitude. H4 : Entrepreneurial skill will have a positive effect on entrepreneurial attitude. H5 : Entrepreneurial skill will have a positive effect on subjective norms. H6: Entrepreneurial skill will have a positive effect on perceived behavioral control. H7 : Entrepreneurial attitude will have a positive effect on entrepreneurial intention. H8 : Subjective norms will have a positive effect on entrepreneurial intention. H9 : Perceived behavioral control will have a positive effect on entrepreneurial intention. H10 : Perceived barriers will have a negative effect on entrepreneurial intention. H11 : Perceived support will have a positive effect on entrepreneurial intention. H12 : Entrepreneurial intention will have a positive effect on the discovery of business chances. H13 : Entrepreneurial intention will have a positive effect on the exploitation of business chances.
To get the sample data, survey was conducted between October 25, 2010 and November 13, 2010 of seniors who graduated from a senior entrepreneurship academy operated by the Korea Small Business Administration. We received 371 responses and excluded 141 responses due to incomplete answers. Finally we accepted 230 samples.
We employed two statistical packages, SPSS 15.0 for descriptive and reliability analysis and AMOS 7.0 for confirmatory factor analysis and structural model analysis with latent variables. We found that questionnaires containing incomplete answers had two types. The first type, which were about thirty six percent of the incomplete questionnaires, were missing more than fifty percent of the values per construct. To use incomplete questionnaires in statistical tests, we adopted a regression input for the missing values which were less than fifty percent of the items per construct.
Second, we eliminated questionnaires containing a series of the same response value or of the same response values pattern. Although we tried to translate English questions into Korean questions to make it easy to check values, seniors who are about fifty years old or older may have difficulties to respond to these questions because of their age.
The minimum value of Cronbach¡¯s ¥á in the twelve research constructs is 0.721 and the maximum is 0.906. Fit indexes of confirmatory factor analysis model are ¥ö2(df)=491.116(368), p=0.000, RMSEA=0.038, GFI=0.888, AGFI=0.848, TLI=0.956 and CFI=0.965. In this test, composite reliabilities are 0.640 through 0.892 and AVEs (Average Variance Extracted) are 0.472 through 0.814. Research constructs in confirmatory factor analysis have discriminant validity because all of the 95 percent confidence intervals of correlation coefficient among the twelve latent variables do not include one. Fit indexes of our research model represent a satisfactory level in structural equation analysis (¥ö2(df)=643.475(406), p=0.000, RMSEA=0.051, GFI=0.854, AGFI=0.821, TLI=0.923, CFI=0.933). In the research model, significant paths/standardized coefficient/hypotheses are as follow; 「entrepreneurial skill ¡æ entrepreneurial attitude, 0.080」(H4), 「entrepreneurial skill ¡æ subjective norms, 0.703」(H5), 「entrepreneurial skill ¡æ perceived behavioral control, 0.894」(H6), 「entrepreneurial attitude ¡æ entrepreneurial intention, 0.296」(H7), 「perceived behavioral control ¡æ entrepreneurial intention, 0.395」(H9), 「entrepreneurial intention ¡æ discovery, 0.603」(H12), 「entrepreneurial intention ¡æ exploitation, 0.217」 (H13). We should revise our research model because, in testing the research model, there were two paths containing M.I. of more than ten. So, we tested the revised model with added two paths in the research model. The two paths were 「subjective norms ¡æ entrepreneurial attitude」 and 「subjective norms ¡æ perceived behavior control」. Fit indexes of the revised model were better than those of the research model (¥ö2(df)=619.654(404), p=0.000, RMSEA=0.048, GFI=0.857, AGFI=0.825, TLI=0.930, CFI=0.939) and the ¥ö2 difference test between the revised model and the research model was significant. So we accepted the revised model as the final model.
In the final model, we found full mediation effects of entrepreneurial attitude and perceived behavioral control, respectively in the relationship of subjective norms and entrepreneurial intention.
The overall results supported H1(0.469), but not H2(-0.216, -0.172). The result shows that risk-taking, rather than autonomy, is the factor that influences entrepreneurial decision making for seniors(Dess and Lumpkin, 2005).
Results also supported H4(0.458), H5(0.485), H6(H510). Similar to the Linan's(2008) proven fact, entrepreneurial capabilities have been shown to have the largest impact along with entrepreneurial behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. H7(0.383) and H9(0.386) were supported by the results, but H8 was rejected. The overall result is similar with previous research performed by Linan(2008) and Linan and Chen(2009). On the other hand, H10 and H11 were rejected due to the lack of government support for senior entrepreneurship and the lack of a suitable socioeconomical environment. Lastly, H12(0.597) and H13(0.214) was supported by the results.
The results of this research were organized by Ajzen's(1991) TPB model. According to the results, there were positive relationships between entrepreneurial behavior, entrepreneurial intention, and entrepreneurial capabilities. These results show that the Senior Entrepreneurship Education Center should focus on educating seniors based on enhancing entrepreneurship capabilities. In addition, since risk taking was the only factor that affected entrepreneurial behavior, it is important to educate seniors to manage possible risks.
Another result showed that subjective norms had a relatively large impact on entrepreneurial behavior and on perceived behavioral control. Therefore, entrepreneurship education institutions should focus on building a curriculum based on communication.
Lastly, Korean senior entrepreneurs were found to focus on opportunity findings rather than environmental restrictions. This shows that it is realistic for the government to support senior entrepreneurship rather than putting the focus on economic relief.
Limitations and future research proposals have been categorized in seven different parts. Following is the list of those categories: lack of previous research about senior entrepreneurship, need for longitudinal study, limitation on error estimation, limitation on samples, need for various approach methods on senior entrepreneurship, need to develop a comparison model between senior and young adult entrepreneurs, and a need to categorize senior entrepreneurs based on the years they were in business.