Influence of Institutional Environment on Social Entrepreneurial Intention: a study in Maldives using Social Cognitive Career Theory

Social entrepreneurship creates social mechanisms for sustainable, rights-based development by addressing chronic social issues that public and private initiatives do not solve. Despite extensive study on social initiatives, little is known about how institutional environments influence social entrepreneurs. This thesis applies Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) to the Maldives' SIDS context to examine how institutional conditions affect social entrepreneurial intention. The study begins by situating local social enterprise models in worldwide SE literature. The literature review uses Gartner's Entrepreneurship Framework to explore social enterprises, their institutional environment, entrepreneurs' cognitive traits, and entrepreneurial thinking that motivates SE career choice. This study uses Defourny and Nyssens' (2010) institutional interest principles and resource mix typology triangle to characterize Maldives social enterprise models, overcoming the lack of a common description. A conceptual model is developed from literature using SCCT and Institutional Theory (IT) to examine how institutional environment pillars affect social entrepreneurial intention, the key predictor of entrepreneurship that indicates how much people are interested in social venture creation as a career. The formal part of the study analyzes 205 survey responses from Maldives residents, using structural equation modelling in PLS-SEM4. Results show that the normative institutional environment indirectly influences social entrepreneurial intention through outcome expectations and self-efficacy. The regulatory environment impacts the elderly but not youth group, while gender and extrinsic rewards are insignificant factors in intention formation. By applying the SCCT-IT model to Maldives context, the research adds diversity to SE intention theory through consideration of social venture creation in SIDS. These findings offer nuanced insights to policy makers and practitioners for fostering social entrepreneurship, addressing social issues supporting development.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

dba

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Wales Trinity Saint David

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Rasheed, Mohamed

• BF Seicoleg
• HD Diwydiannau. Defnydd tir. Llafur

Dc Identifier Grantnumber

UWTSD

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.uwtsd.ac.uk:4202