Examining the political training grounds: campaign experience on entrepreneur’s self-evaluation and perceived behavioral control

Purpose This study examines how political engagement, particularly through structured campaign experience, can function as a developmental training ground for entrepreneurial readiness. This study investigates how political motivations, which are proxied through activist and radical intentions, serve as a psychological antecedent to perceived behavioral control (PBC), a central construct in entrepreneurial intention. Our research addresses how ideological and civic motivations influence small business formation, particularly among politically motivated individuals entering entrepreneurship through nontraditional or value-driven pathways. Design/methodology/approach Guided by the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and further explained by controlled radicalism, the study proposes a moderated mediation model in which self-evaluation (SE) mediates the relationship between political intentions (activist and radical) and PBC, with campaign participation acting as a moderator. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 354 politically engaged adults in the United States. Regression-based mediation and moderation analyses were conducted using the PROCESS macro. Findings Results show that activist intentions positively influence PBC indirectly through SE, supporting a partial mediation model. Conversely, radical intentions negatively impact SE, and their effect on PBC is fully mediated through SE. However, campaign participation more positively moderates this relationship, reducing the negative impact of radical intentions on SE and enhancing overall entrepreneurial readiness. Our findings suggest that structured civic experiences can buffer the psychological costs of radical identity and convert ideological motivation into entrepreneurial capability and readiness. Practical implications Campaign participation offers experiential learning that fosters self-efficacy, PBC, and entrepreneurial identity development. Our findings suggest that entrepreneurship education and ecosystem support programs should incorporate civic and community engagement to reach and support nontraditional entrepreneurs, especially those motivated by social or political change. Social implications Our study underscores the need for more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems that recognize diverse motivations, including political and ideological ones. By reframing political engagement as a source of entrepreneurial capability, policymakers and educators can broaden access to venture creation and empower underrepresented communities through identity-affirming pathways. Originality/value This study contributes to the growing recognition of ideologically motivated entrepreneurship by integrating political psychology with entrepreneurial cognition. It challenges conventional market-based narratives by demonstrating how civic and identity-driven experiences, such as activism and political campaigning, shape entrepreneurial self-identity. Our findings offer a novel perspective on how small business formation can emerge from value-driven, inclusive, and nontraditional pathways, particularly among politically engaged individuals.