The impact of human capital and social capital on entrepreneurship entry: the threshold of human capital-social capital coupling

Human capital and social capital are crucial in shaping entrepreneurial decisions, yet their combined effects on entrepreneurship entry remain insufficiently explored. This study uses data from the China Household Tracking Survey (2010–2018) to examine how the coupling of human and social capital influences entrepreneurship entry. By defining human-social capital coupling as the interdependence between these two forms of capital, we estimated its nonlinear impact using generalized propensity score matching and analyzed variations across gender and region. The results revealed that human capital-social capital coupling mediated the relationship between these capitals and entrepreneurship entry, following a significant N-shaped trend with identified thresholds. The impact of this coupling was also influenced by gender and regional variations. The study contributes to the literature by introducing a novel perspective on capital coupling, assessing its threshold effects, and highlighting gender and regional disparities. Individuals should understand and use the human capital-social capital coupling to guide their actions; policymakers are encouraged to consider and enhance the coupling between human and social capital in their entrepreneurship support strategies.