Do entrepreneurial role models influence the nascent entrepreneurial activity of immigrants?

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Contín-Pilart, I. and Larraza-Kintana, M. (2015), Do Entrepreneurial Role Models Influence the Nascent Entrepreneurial Activity of Immigrants? Journal of Small Business Management, 53: 1146–1163, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1111/jsbm.12153. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. This paper examines how the influence of entrepreneurial role models in the individual’s decision to become a nascent entrepreneur is moderated by their socio-cultural fit. By looking at the entrepreneurial activity of immigrants, the paper proposes that, because of their lower sociocultural fit, immigrants are less likely to be influenced in their entrepreneurial activity by past and present entrepreneurs in the region where they live compared with the native population. Using a large database of 28,306 individuals in 50 Spanish provinces, the results confirm our hypothesis. The moderating effect of cultural distance and time of residence is also analyzed. The authors wish to acknowledge financial support from the Government of Navarra through its Employment Service (Servicio Navarro de Empleo). Financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (projects ECO2010-21242-C03-03 and ECO2010-21393-C04-03) is also acknowledged