When Financial Support Crosses Boundaries: Educator-Mentor Voices on Family, Friendship, and Entrepreneurial Risk
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38035/bcpr.v2i1.67Keywords:
Financial support, relational boundaries, entrepreneurial risk, educator-mentors, focus group discussionAbstract
Abstract: This study examines informal financial support within family, friendship, and entrepreneurial mentoring relationships from the voices of educators and mentors. The central issue is how support that begins as care may become burdensome when relational boundaries, written agreements, and business accountability are unclear. The study uses a qualitative approach through three waves of focus group discussions conducted from September 2025 to March 2026 with educators, mentors, and practitioners who had experience supporting learners or entrepreneurial communities. Thematic analysis produced five themes: financial support as a moral obligation, over-boundary care and hidden personal burden, trust without written agreement, vulnerability when close family or friends enter serious business, and the need for boundary governance before providing support. The article proposes the BOUNDARY framework as a practical guide to keep financial support humane, safe, and sustainable. It concludes that financial support may strengthen entrepreneurial intention and practice, but it must be accompanied by role clarity, written evidence, financial literacy, and protection of the supporter’s basic household stability.
References
Aldrich, H. E., & Cliff, J. E. (2003). The pervasive effects of family on entrepreneurship: Toward a family embeddedness perspective. Journal of Business Venturing, 18(5), 573–596. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-9026(03)00011-9
Anwar, M., Tajeddini, K., & Ullah, R. (2020). Entrepreneurial finance and new venture success—the moderating role of government support. Business Strategy and Development, 3(4), 408–421. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.105
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. Macmillan.
Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700108
Başçı, E. S., & Alkan, R. M. (2015). Entrepreneurship education at universities: Suggestion for a model using financial support. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 195, 856–861. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.06.364
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Cumming, D., Deloof, M., Manigart, S., & Wright, M. (2019). New directions in entrepreneurial finance. Journal of Banking & Finance, 100, 252–260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbankfin.2019.02.008
Fraser, S., Bhaumik, S. K., & Wright, M. (2015). What do we know about entrepreneurial finance and its relationship with growth? International Small Business Journal, 33(1), 70–88. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242614547827
Gersick, K. E., Davis, J. A., Hampton, M. M., & Lansberg, I. (1997). Generation to generation: Life cycles of the family business. Harvard Business School Press.
Habbershon, T. G., & Williams, M. L. (1999). A resource-based framework for assessing the strategic advantages of family firms. Family Business Review, 12(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-6248.1999.00001.x
Krueger, R. A., & Casey, M. A. (2015). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Lam, W. (2010). Funding gap, what funding gap? Financial bootstrapping: Supply, demand and creation of entrepreneurial finance. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 16(4), 268–295. https://doi.org/10.1108/13552551011054480
Łasak, P. (2022). The role of financial technology and entrepreneurial finance practices in funding small and medium-sized enterprises. Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, 18(1), 7–34. https://doi.org/10.7341/20221811
Mirfaqoh, V., Muktiyanto, A., Geraldina, I., & Yusriani, S. (2024). How Risk Perception aand Financial Literacy Effect Overconfidence Bias and Investment Decisions Relationship. Indonesian Journal of Islamic Economics and Finance, 4(2), 337-356. https://doi.org/10.37680/ijief.v4i2.6067
Morgan, D. L. (1997). Focus groups as qualitative research (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Muñoz-Céspedes, E., Ibar-Alonso, R., & Cuerdo-Mir, M. (2024). Individual entrepreneurial behavior and financial literacy. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 20(3), 2263–2285. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-023-00936-4
Neneh, B. N., & Welsh, D. H. B. (2022). Family support and business performance of South African female technology entrepreneurs. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 28(6), 1631–1652. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-05-2021-0402
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
Saoula, O., Abid, M. F., & Ahmad, M. J. (2025). What drives entrepreneurial intentions? Interplay between entrepreneurial education, financial support, role models and attitude towards entrepreneurship. Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 19(2), 128–148. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJIE-10-2023-0189
Shamsul Hana Abd Rani. (2012). A study of relationship between family support, role model and financial support towards entrepreneurial inclination among UUM non-business students. Universiti Utara Malaysia Electronic Theses and Dissertation.
Sieger, P., & Minola, T. (2017). The family’s financial support as a “poisoned gift”: A family embeddedness perspective on entrepreneurial intentions. Journal of Small Business Management, 55(S1), 179–204. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsbm.12273
Stenholm, P., & Nielsen, M. S. (2019). Understanding the emergence of entrepreneurial passion: The influence of perceived emotional support and competences. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 25(6), 1368–1388. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-02-2018-0065
Sundaramurthy, C., & Kreiner, G. E. (2008). Governing by managing identity boundaries: The case of family businesses. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 32(3), 415–436. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2008.00234.x
van Rijnsoever, F. J. (2022). Intermediaries for the greater good: How entrepreneurial support organizations can embed constrained sustainable development startups in entrepreneurial ecosystems. Research Policy, 51(2), 104438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2021.104438
Walmsley, A., & Nabi, G. (2024). Entrepreneurship mentoring in higher education: How does the mentor benefit? Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 31(7), 1279–1301. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-01-2023-0022
Yusriani, S., Setiyawan Prambudi, I., Pintor Siolemba Patiro, S., Fauzi, A., & Christya Rahayu, H. (2025). Barriers to Entrepreneurial Intention: A Comprehensive Literature Review. Dinasti International Journal of Economics, Finance & Accounting (DIJEFA), 5(6), 5581-5588. http://repository.upp.ac.id/id/eprint/2573
Zin, M. L. M., & Ibrahim, H. (2020). The influence of entrepreneurial supports on business performance among rural entrepreneurs. Advances in Management & Applied Economics, 10(3), 1–14.
















