This research partially tests a model of entrepreneurial cognition among small business owners In the transition economy of China. Addressing these issues helps to answer questions about how entrepreneurs create, sustain, and transform organizations. The Influence of social context, personal factors, and cognition of Chinese entrepreneurs on their growth intentions and their method of expansion were examined. Based on a sample of 2,878 Chinese small private business owners, we not only found that an entrepreneur's commitment, need for achievement, and social environment is important, but that a cognitive understanding of the environment also has a direct impact on growth intentions.
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