I won’t leave even when performance is poor: Investigating the role of family support

This study used the stressor–strain–outcome framework as a theoretical foundation to propose and test a research model exploring why and when poor business performance leads to entrepreneurial exit intention. Analysis of time-lagged data from a survey of 336 Chinese entrepreneurs supported our hypotheses. Specifically, emotional exhaustion mediated the relationship between poor performance and entrepreneurial exit intention, while family-to-business support mitigated the impact of emotional exhaustion on entrepreneurial exit intention. Additionally, the indirect effect of poor performance on entrepreneurial exit intention through emotional exhaustion was significant when family-to-business support was low but not when it was high. Thus, while poor performance can induce exit intention by increasing emotional exhaustion, family support can mitigate this situation. Theoretical and practical implications and future research directions are discussed.