Perceived public support and entrepreneurship attitudes: A little reciprocity can go a long way!

This study investigates the link between perceived public support for entrepreneurship and individuals' entrepreneurial intention. Using samples from the US and Poland, we show that positive perception of public support is indirectly related to entrepreneurial intentions of university students. This takes place through relationships with personal attitude to entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and risk attitudes. Such links are explained by the reciprocity theory wherein individuals' attitudes and beliefs are associated with a feeling of mutuality toward the supportive actions of society. From a cross-national perspective, we find that while perceived public support exhibits similar relationships across Poland and the US, attitude to risk has a greater positive association with entrepreneurial intentions among US students. These findings hold important implications for theory and practice.