Moving beyond the self: how mindset shapes self-transcendence experience among young nascent social entrepreneurs

Purpose Drawing upon construal level and vested interest theories, this study aims to investigate how mindsets contribute to self-transcendence experience among young nascent entrepreneurs when responding to social venture challenges. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted four experiments and one survey to test the effect of the “why” vs “how” mindset on self-transcendence experience, the mediating role of social value orientation and the moderating role of self-efficacy. Findings The authors find that young enterprising individuals experiencing the why-mindset are more likely to report a higher level of transcendence than those with the how-mindset. This effect is mediated by social value orientation. In addition, entrepreneurial self-efficacy moderates the effect of the entrepreneurial mindset on the self-transcendence experience. Research limitations/implications The paper advances the entrepreneurial cognition literature by revealing a novel relationship between cognition, motivational behaviour and the transient mental state of entrepreneurs. Practical implications Understanding the impact of different mindsets helps enterprising individuals devise strategies to reduce the conflict between idealism and pragmatism so as to strive towards higher levels of self-transcendence experience. Social implications The challenging process of founding a social business requires young nascent entrepreneurs to stay motivated and connected to the broader community through self-transcendence as they balance social and profit objectives. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is among the first to examine the construct of self-transcendence experience and its link to cognitive mindsets in young nascent entrepreneurs tackling social challenges.