Advancing the Entrepreneurial Success Components Theory: Developing the Advanced Entrepreneurial Career Success Framework
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/aej.v12i1.14034Keywords:
Entrepreneurial Career Development, Entrepreneurial Success Components Theory (ESCT), Opportunity Recognition, Entrepreneurial Career Intention, Entrepreneurship EducationAbstract
Entrepreneurial career development is a complex, nonlinear process shaped by cognitive, motivational, and contextual factors. While the Entrepreneurial Success Components Theory (ESCT) provides foundational insights into entrepreneurial readiness, its original structure lacks the depth required to explain how individuals translate entrepreneurial potential into intentional and sustained entrepreneurial behaviour. This conceptual paper introduces the Advanced Entrepreneurial Career Success Framework (AECSF), an expanded and modernised version of ESCT that incorporates key cognitive mediators, refined constructs, and expanded behavioural pathways. The AECSF integrates ten core components (opportunity recognition, market analysis, entrepreneurial ability, entrepreneurship education, previous experience, resource recognition ability, entrepreneurial motivation, social support, entrepreneurial career intentions, and entrepreneurial career behaviour) which provide a holistic view of the entrepreneurial journey. Central to the model are two sequential mediators: opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial career intentions, which explain how foundational success factors evolve into entrepreneurial action. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behaviour, Social Cognitive Career Theory, and opportunity recognition literature, the AECSF addresses conceptual gaps in the original ESCT and offers stronger explanatory power for entrepreneurial career choice, particularly in emerging economies such as Malaysia. The framework contributes theoretical clarity and practical implications for entrepreneurship education, policy design, and ecosystem development. Future research is recommended to empirically validate the AECSF through qualitative and quantitative methods
References
Adam, S., Wen, N. J., Fuzi, N. M., & Ramliy, M. K. (2021). The conceptual framework of entrepreneurial determinants
and entrepreneurial intention among Universiti Teknologi Malaysia undergraduate students. International Journal of
Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v11-i2/8894
Agarwal, S., Lenka, U., Singh, K., Agrawal, V., & Agrawal, A. M. (2020). A qualitative approach towards crucial factors
for sustainable development of women social entrepreneurship: Indian cases. Journal of Cleaner Production, 274,
123135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123135
Ahmad, N. A., Rasul, M. S., Othman, N., & Jalaludin, N. A. (2022). Generating entrepreneurial ideas for business
development. Sustainability, 14(9), 4905. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14094905
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–
211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
Aljuwaiber, A. (2020). Entrepreneurship research in the Middle East and North Africa: Trends, challenges, and
sustainability issues. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, 13(3), 380–426.
https://doi.org/10.1108/jeee-08-2019-0123
Alvarez-Salazar, J. (2020). Organizational resources and survival of startup firms: A qualitative analysis in the Peruvian
context. Academia Revista Latinoamericana de Administración, 34(1), 59–73. https://doi.org/10.1108/arla-04-2020-
0080
Amara, D. B., Chen, H., & Hafeez, M. (2020). Role of entrepreneurial opportunity identification factors in the ecoinnovation of agribusiness. Business Strategy and Development, 3(4), 435–447. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.107
Amini Sedeh, A., Pezeshkan, A., & Caiazza, R. (2022). Innovative entrepreneurship in emerging and developing
economies: The effects of entrepreneurial competencies and institutional voids. The Journal of Technology Transfer,
47, 1198–1223. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-021-09874-1
Ardichvili, A., Cardozo, R. N., & Ray, S. (2002). A theory of entrepreneurial opportunity identification and development.
Journal of Business Venturing, 18(1), 105–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0883-9026(01)00068-4
Badri, R., & Hachicha, N. (2019). Entrepreneurship education and its impact on students’ intention to start up. The
International Journal of Management Education, 17(2), 182–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2019.02.004
Baron, R. A. (2004). Opportunity recognition: A cognitive perspective. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2004(1),
A1–A6. https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2004.13862818
Baron, R. A. (2006). Opportunity recognition as pattern recognition: How entrepreneurs connect the dots. Academy of
Management Perspectives, 20(1), 104–119. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMP.2006.19873412
Baron, R. A. (2023). Cognitive mechanisms in entrepreneurship: Why and when entrepreneurs think differently. Journal
of Business Venturing Insights, 20, e00350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbvi.2023.e00350
Bruton, G. D., Sutter, C., & Lenz, A. K. (2021). Economic inequality: Is entrepreneurship the cause or solution? Journal
of Business Venturing, 36(3), 106095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2021.106095
Buang, N. A., Ishak, S., & Nagarathanam, R. (2016). The level of intention in formation of entrepreneurship career choice
behavior. International Journal of Academic Research in Economics and Management Sciences, 5(2), 109–118.
Camuffo, A., Cordova, A., Gambardella, A., & Spina, C. (2020). A scientific approach to entrepreneurial decision making.
Management Science, 66(2), 564–586. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2018.3249
Chammassian, R. G., & Sabatier, V. (2020). The role of costs in business model design for early-stage technology startups.
Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 157, 120090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120090
Dana, L. P., Gurău, C., & Light, I. (2020). Entrepreneurship, opportunity recognition and innovation in emerging markets.
International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 39(1/2), 1–16.
https://doi.org/10.1504/IJESB.2020.106123
Delanoë-Gueguen, S., & Liñán, F. (2018). A longitudinal analysis of career motivations on entrepreneurial intention and
action. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, 36(4), 527–542. https://doi.org/10.1002/cjas.1515
Emrizal. (2021). Factors affecting entrepreneurial resilience in disaster-prone areas. Advances in Social Science, Education
and Humanities Research.
Fahlefi, D. R., & Indriani, F. (2020). The competitiveness advantage of enterprises. Advances in Economics, Business and
Management Research, 134, 305–310.
Fayolle, A., & Gailly, B. (2020). The impact of entrepreneurship education on attitudes and intention. Journal of Small
Business Management, 58(3), 449–470. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsbm.12414
Fitzsimmons, J. R., & Douglas, E. J. (2010). Interaction between feasibility and desirability in entrepreneurial intentions.
Journal of Business Venturing, 26(4), 431–440.
Ghazali, E. M., Mutum, D. S., & Saatchi, H. (2021). The impact of institutional environment and experience on social
entrepreneurship. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, 27(5), 1329–1349.
Gibb, A., & Ritchie, J. (1982). Understanding the process of starting small businesses. European Small Business Journal,
1(1), 26–45.
Hou, C., Su, C. H., Qiu, Y., Chen, C. C., & Tang, Y. (2022). Can opportunity recognition mediate the relationship between
entrepreneurship education and intentions? Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 837388.
Jalil, M. F., Ali, A., & Kamarulzaman, R. (2023). Psychological capital and social capital on women entrepreneurs’
intentions. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10, 393.
Jardim, J. (2021). Entrepreneurial skills for the digital world. Education Sciences, 11(7), 356.
Khan, Y. K., Mohammad Arshad, A. S., & Mohammad Arshad, A. A. (2021). Determinants of entrepreneurial readiness.
Global Business and Management Research, 13(4), 46–57.
Landström, H. (2020). Entrepreneurship research. Journal of Business Venturing.
Liñán, F. (2008). Skill and value perceptions in entrepreneurial intention. International Entrepreneurship and Management
Journal, 4(3), 257–272.
Looi, K. H. (2020). Contextual motivations for undergraduates’ entrepreneurial intentions. The Journal of
Entrepreneurship, 29(1), 53–76.
Murad, M., Wang, M., Shah, S. H. A., & Ul Islam, M. (2024). Transitioning from entrepreneurial education to
entrepreneurial behavior. The International Journal of Management Education, 22(3), 101053.
Nagarathanam, R., & Buang, N. A. (2016). Attitude and entrepreneurship career choice among Malaysian Indian
undergraduates. Akademika, 86(2), 43–52.
Neneh, B. N. (2020). Entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial career path. Education + Training, 62(5), 559–580.
Neneh, B. N., & Dzomonda, O. (2024). Transitioning from entrepreneurial intention to actual behavior. The International
Journal of Management Education, 22(2), 100964.
Neumann, T. (2020). The impact of entrepreneurship on economic and social welfare. Management Review Quarterly,
71(3), 553–584.
Olugbola, S. A. (2017). Exploring entrepreneurial readiness. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 2(3), 155–171.
Opute, A. P., Kalu, K. I., Adeola, O., & Iwu, C. G. (2021). Steering sustainable economic growth. Journal of
Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, 7(2), 216–238.
Otache, I., Edokpolor, J. E., Sani, I. A., & Umar, K. (2024). Entrepreneurship education and intentions. The International
Journal of Management Education, 22(1), 100917.
Pradhan, R. P., Arvin, M. B., Nair, M., & Bennett, S. E. (2020). Entrepreneurship and economic growth in Eurozone
countries. Journal of Policy Modeling, 42(5), 1106–1123.
Roos, P., & Botha, M. (2022). The entrepreneurial intention–action gap. South African Journal of Economic and
Management Sciences, 25(1), a4232.
Saifuddin, S. A., Janudin, S. E., & Salleh, M. I. (2022). Development of entrepreneurial school in Malaysia. International
Journal of Academic Research in Economics and Management Sciences, 11(4), 1–10.
Selamat, M. N., Mokhtar, D., Subhi, N. S. A. N., Razak, M. A. A., & Ahmad, R. (2023). Entrepreneurship career choice
among B40 youths. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(6), 1–12.
Shapero, A., & Sokol, L. (1982). The social dimensions of entrepreneurship. In C. Kent et al. (Eds.), The encyclopedia of
entrepreneurship (pp. 72–90). Prentice Hall.
Tian, H., Akhtar, S., Qureshi, N. A., & Iqbal, S. (2022). Predictors of entrepreneurial intentions. Frontiers in Psychology,
13, 882159.
Wiramihardja, S., N’dary, D., Al Mamun, A., Munikrishnan, C., Yang, M., Salamah, S. Z., & Hayat, N. (2022). Sustainable
economic development through entrepreneurship. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 852.
Wulandari, A., Hermawan, A., & Mukhlis, I. (2021). Determinants of entrepreneurial readiness. Journal of Business and
Management Review, 2(4), 303–316.
Xavier, J. A., & Ahmad, Z. U. (2012). Transforming Malaysia into a model developing nation. International Journal of
Public Sector Management, 25(3), 231–243.
Yusriani, S., Prambudi, I. S., Patiro, S. P. S., & Fauzi, A. (2024). Barriers to entrepreneurial intention. Dinasti International
Journal of Economics Finance & Accounting, 5(6), 5581–5588.
Zhang, H., & Chen, H. (2023). Sustainable entrepreneurship and opportunity identification. Frontiers in Psychology, 14,
1129855.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
