Perceived health as human capital in entrepreneurial intention among people with disability

This study sheds light on inclusive entrepreneurship by investigating factors that underlie the likelihood of entrepreneurial intention for people with disability. While previous works show that entrepreneurial intention results from cognitive and mental processes, little attention has been given to perceived health, as a human capital, in shaping the formation of entrepreneurship. Yet mental and physical health is a hot topic in entrepreneurship literature and academicians call for more research in this field. We focus on a specific population, people with disability (PWD) since chronic conditions associated with disabilities have implications for individuals’ psychology and cognition and, ultimately, their entrepreneurial intention.

The results of a regression analysis on a sample of 212 PWD in France show that positive health perception is associated with a higher level of entrepreneurial intention by increasing alertness to opportunity. Opportunity alertness partially but significantly mediates the impact of perceived health on entrepreneurial intention.

We contribute to entrepreneurship literature by offering a more socially aware analysis of entrepreneurial intention. We also help advance research on the psychocognitive factors that intervene in the entrepreneurial intention process. We add insights into this research stream by blending human capital (perceived health) and cognition (opportunity alertness) perspectives to explain entrepreneurial intention of PWD. This study ultimately aims to offer a new direction in understanding how health perception plays a key role in early stages of the entrepreneurship process.