“When I get older, I wanna be an entrepreneur”: the impact of disability and dyslexia on entrepreneurial self-efficacy perception

Abstract

Purpose This article contributes to the literature on entrepreneurship for people with disabilities through a better understanding of the impact of entrepreneurial self-efficacy perceptions on entrepreneurial intentions in populations with lower levels of self-esteem. It investigates the entrepreneurial intention and self-efficacy of a population of students suffering from dyslexia, which is a learning disability. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on the study of a data set of 796 male and female adolescents in the USA, aged 13–19 years, both with and without dyslexia. The sample is a convenient one. The whole sample replied to the questionnaire on their self-efficacy perception and their intention to create, one day, their own venture. They also self-declare their dyslexia. Regressions have been conducted to answer the research question. Findings Results show that having dyslexia has a negative impact on entrepreneurial self-efficacy perceptions. They also reveal that self-efficacy perceptions mediate the relationship between dyslexia and entrepreneurial intentions and their three antecedents (social norms, control behavior and perceived ability). Research limitations/implications The sample is composed of students from private schools and might socially be biased. Practical implications Our findings relaunch the debate on the necessity to develop education programs that consider the personal-level variables of students, specifically the development of entrepreneurial self-efficacy among adolescents with disabilities Social implications Such findings should help to better understand students who are suffering from dyslexia and help them find a place in society and economic life. Originality/value This is so far the first study that has been conducted on dyslexic adolescents.

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