Li Shibo, Sanusi Edwin Setiawan
Department of Management and Economics, Liaoning University of Technology, Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, China.
Department of Management, SolBridge International School of Business, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
PLoS One. 2025 Aug 4;20(8):e0327894. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0327894. eCollection 2025.
This study examines the interplay between entrepreneurial motivation, mental well-being (MWB), and business performance, with a focus on the moderating role of bridging social capital among female entrepreneurs in China. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) and Social Capital theories, the research highlights the critical role of pull motivation in fostering MWB, which subsequently enhances business performance. The findings, based on moderated mediation analysis, reveal that MWB mediates the relationship between pull motivation and business performance, and this mediation effect is amplified in contexts with higher levels of bridging social capital. The study makes several contributions. Theoretically, it extends COR theory by illustrating how resource gain spirals initiated by intrinsic motivation led to psychological and business success. It also enriches Social Capital theory by demonstrating how expansive social networks facilitate entrepreneurial outcomes. Practically, the findings underscore the importance of fostering intrinsic motivation and building diverse social networks to support female entrepreneurs. The results hold implications for policymakers and practitioners aiming to enhance women's entrepreneurial well-being and performance, particularly in socio-cultural contexts that impose unique challenges. Despite its contributions, the study has limitations. The cross-sectional design restricts causal inference, and the findings are contextualized within the Chinese entrepreneurial ecosystem, which may limit generalizability. Future research should explore longitudinal designs and expand the scope to other cultural and economic settings. By addressing these areas, scholars can further unravel the complex dynamics of motivation, well-being, and social capital in entrepreneurship.
本研究考察了创业动机、心理健康（MWB）与企业绩效之间的相互作用，重点关注中国女性创业者中桥梁型社会资本的调节作用。基于资源守恒（COR）理论和社会资本理论，该研究强调了拉动动机在促进心理健康方面的关键作用，进而提升企业绩效。基于调节中介分析的结果表明，心理健康在拉动动机与企业绩效之间起中介作用，且在桥梁型社会资本水平较高的情境中，这种中介效应会增强。该研究有多项贡献。从理论上讲，它通过阐明内在动机引发的资源获取螺旋如何导致心理和商业成功，扩展了COR理论。它还通过展示广泛的社会网络如何促进创业成果，丰富了社会资本理论。在实践中，研究结果强调了培养内在动机和建立多样化社会网络以支持女性创业者的重要性。这些结果对旨在提高女性创业幸福感和绩效的政策制定者和从业者具有启示意义，尤其是在面临独特挑战的社会文化背景下。尽管有这些贡献，但该研究也有局限性。横断面设计限制了因果推断，且研究结果是在中国创业生态系统背景下得出的，这可能会限制其普遍性。未来的研究应探索纵向设计，并将范围扩大到其他文化和经济环境。通过解决这些问题，学者们可以进一步揭示创业中动机、幸福感和社会资本的复杂动态。
