Training entrepreneurs in culturally diverse countries. Influence of Social Norms on Entrepreneurial Intention

One of the most influential factors in people's lives is the place of birth. At the educational and employment level, our future is often determined by social and cultural factors associated with the country or region where we are born. This study explores the extent to which National Culture conditions the influence of Social Norms on the Entrepreneurial Intention of business students. We focus on the components of the Theory of Planned Behaviour proposed by Ajzen and on Hofstede's dimensions of National Culture. To test our hypotheses we surveyed 352 business students at universities or business schools in seven countries with large cultural differences. The results of PLS analyses show that the effect of Social Norms on Entrepreneurial Intention is larger among individuals from national cultures with high Power Distance, low Individualism and Short-Term Orientation. These effects of national culture should be considered when designing entrepreneurship education programmes. •National culture moderates the impact of Social Norms on Entrepreneurial Intention.•Social norms have a stronger impact in cultures with high Power Distance.•Low Individualism boosts Social Norms' effect on Entrepreneurial Intention.•Short-Term Orientation amplifies the influence of Social norms on Intentions.•Consider cultural factors in the design of entrepreneurship education programmes.