Title: Investigating factors and support systems in social entrepreneurship and intention

Authors: Ines Ben Chikha; Virginie Hachard; Alain Fayolle; Anis Jarboui

Addresses: Faculty of Economics and Management of Sfax, Km 4 3064 Route de l'aéroport, Sfax, Tunisia ' Ecole de Management de Normandie, 20 Quai Frissard, 76600 Le Havre, France ' IDRAC Business School, 7 rue Sergent Michel Berthet, 69258 Lyon Cedex 9, France ' Higher Institute of Business Administration of Sfax, Airport Road km 4 1013, Sfax, Tunisia

Abstract: Social entrepreneurship acts as a pivotal force in addressing urgent global social, environmental, and economic challenges. This study emphasises the necessity of a dual-phase perspective, encompassing both the initial phase - social entrepreneurial intention - and the venture establishment phase, which are often treated in isolation. By applying PLS-SEM analysis to 204 Tunisian social entrepreneurs, the research highlights essential drivers of social entrepreneurship, including psychological traits, entrepreneurial skills, motivational factors, and supportive environmental conditions. Notably, this study underscores entrepreneurial skills and intention as foundational antecedents in the formation of social ventures, with intention acting as a catalyst in mobilising entrepreneurial actions. Among the factors shaping this intention, desirability and especially feasibility emerge as impactful: desirability captures intrinsic motivation, while feasibility reflects confidence in attaining goals. Furthermore, psychological support through motivation and security functions plays a crucial role in reinforcing perceived feasibility and resilience. In this study, it also emphasises organisational support mechanisms - such as awareness campaigns, network integration, resource accessibility, learning opportunities, and psychological support (reflection, confidence-building, security, and motivation) - in enhancing perceived desirability and feasibility. These contributions offer practical insights for policymakers and support organisations to foster social ventures and advance impactful social entrepreneurship.

Keywords: social entrepreneurship; social entrepreneurship intention; accompaniment mechanism; determinants.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTTC.2025.145567

International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, 2025 Vol.21 No.2, pp.169 - 190

Received: 16 Aug 2024
Accepted: 01 Nov 2024
Published online: 04 Apr 2025 *

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