IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/entthe/v39y2015i1p1-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Downside to the Entrepreneurial Personality?

Author

Listed:
  • Danny Miller

Abstract

The literature on entrepreneurship bears a distinctly positive cast, often with good reason. Entrepreneurs and their innovations have contributed enormously to national wealth, and so scholars have examined the personalities, capabilities, and contexts underlying these contributions. However, despite some early work, the negative aspects of the entrepreneurial personality have been largely ignored. We shall argue that given the nature of the challenges facing many entrepreneurs and the consequent demands of their jobs, certain personality traits will be quite valuable to them. These, however, tend to be Janus–faced in that positive attributes, such as energy, self–confidence, need for achievement, and independence, may sometimes devolve naturally into aggressiveness, narcissism, ruthlessness, and irresponsibility. Given the costly repercussions of the latter characteristics, we urge more study of their nature and causes among entrepreneurs.

Suggested Citation

  • Danny Miller, 2015. "A Downside to the Entrepreneurial Personality?," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(1), pages 1-8, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:39:y:2015:i:1:p:1-8
    DOI: 10.1111/etap.12130
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/etap.12130
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/etap.12130?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mathew L. A. Hayward & Dean A. Shepherd & Dale Griffin, 2006. "A Hubris Theory of Entrepreneurship," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(2), pages 160-172, February.
    2. McCarthy, Anne M. & Schoorman, F. David & Cooper, Arnold C., 1993. "Reinvestment decisions by entrepreneurs: Rational decision-making or escalation of commitment?," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 9-24, January.
    3. Jeffry A. Timmons, 1978. "Characteristics and Role Demands of Entrepreneurship1," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 3(1), pages 5-17, July.
    4. Meek, William R. & Pacheco, Desirée F. & York, Jeffrey G., 2010. "The impact of social norms on entrepreneurial action: Evidence from the environmental entrepreneurship context," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 493-509, September.
    5. Larry Hirschhorn, 1990. "The Workplace Within: Psychodynamics of Organizational Life," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262581019, April.
    6. White, Roderick E. & Thornhill, Stewart & Hampson, Elizabeth, 2006. "Entrepreneurs and evolutionary biology: The relationship between testosterone and new venture creation," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 100(1), pages 21-34, May.
    7. Audretsch, David B., 2009. "Entrepreneurship capital and economic growth," INVESTIGACIONES REGIONALES - Journal of REGIONAL RESEARCH, Asociación Española de Ciencia Regional, issue 15, pages 27-45.
    8. Maw–Der Foo, 2011. "Emotions and Entrepreneurial Opportunity Evaluation," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 35(2), pages 375-393, March.
    9. Manfred F. R. Kets De Vries & Danny Miller, 1984. "Neurotic style and organizational pathology," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(1), pages 35-55, January.
    10. Israel Kirzner, 2009. "The alert and creative entrepreneur: a clarification," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 145-152, February.
    11. Miller, Danny & Steier, Lloyd & Le Breton-Miller, Isabelle, 2003. "Lost in time: intergenerational succession, change, and failure in family business," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 513-531, July.
    12. Gjalt de Jong & Phan Anh Tu & Hans van Ees, 2012. "Which Entrepreneurs Bribe and what do they Get from It? Exploratory Evidence from Vietnam," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(2), pages 323-345, March.
    13. Zoltan Acs & Laszlo Szerb, 2007. "Entrepreneurship, Economic Growth and Public Policy," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 109-122, March.
    14. Gideon D. Markman & David B. Balkin & Robert A. Baron, 2002. "Inventors and New Venture Formation: the Effects of General Self–Efficacy and Regretful Thinking," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 27(2), pages 149-165, April.
    15. Cardon, Melissa S. & Zietsma, Charlene & Saparito, Patrick & Matherne, Brett P. & Davis, Carolyn, 2005. "A tale of passion: New insights into entrepreneurship from a parenthood metaphor," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 23-45, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Erik Lundmark & Anna Krzeminska & Dean A. Shepherd, 2019. "Images of Entrepreneurship: Exploring Root Metaphors and Expanding Upon Them," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 43(1), pages 138-170, January.
    2. Aparicio, Sebastian & Urbano, David & Audretsch, David, 2016. "Institutional factors, opportunity entrepreneurship and economic growth: Panel data evidence," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 45-61.
    3. Stephen X. Zhang & Javier Cueto, 2017. "The Study of Bias in Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 41(3), pages 419-454, May.
    4. Yasuhiro Yamakawa & Melissa Cardon, 2015. "Causal ascriptions and perceived learning from entrepreneurial failure," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(4), pages 797-820, April.
    5. Yasuhiro Yamakawa & Mike W. Peng & David L. Deeds, 2015. "Rising from the Ashes: Cognitive Determinants of Venture Growth after Entrepreneurial Failure," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(2), pages 209-236, March.
    6. David Urbano & Sebastian Aparicio & David Audretsch, 2019. "Twenty-five years of research on institutions, entrepreneurship, and economic growth: what has been learned?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 21-49, June.
    7. Maw–Der Foo & Marilyn A. Uy & Charles Murnieks, 2015. "Beyond Affective Valence: Untangling Valence and Activation Influences on Opportunity Identification," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(2), pages 407-431, March.
    8. José Luis Massón-Guerra & Pedro Ortín-Ángel, 2019. "Entrepreneurship capital spillovers at the local level," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 52(1), pages 175-191, January.
    9. Justin R. Hall & Selen Savas-Hall & Eric H. Shaw, 2023. "A deductive approach to a systematic review of entrepreneurship literature," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 73(3), pages 987-1016, September.
    10. Cucchiarini, Veronica & Scicchitano, Sergio & Viale, Riccardo, 2024. "The Entrepreneur's Cognitive and Behavioral Journey: Understanding Heuristics and Bias under Risk and Uncertainty," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1390, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    11. Maribel Guerrero & Francisco Liñán & F. Rafael Cáceres-Carrasco, 2021. "The influence of ecosystems on the entrepreneurship process: a comparison across developed and developing economies," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(4), pages 1733-1759, December.
    12. Tamar Balgiashvili, 2017. "Comparing Entrepreneurial Passion of Social and Commercial Entrepreneurs in the Czech Republic," Central European Business Review, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2017(4), pages 45-61.
    13. Daniel V. Holland & Dean A. Shepherd, 2013. "Deciding to Persist: Adversity, Values, and Entrepreneurs’ Decision Policies," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(2), pages 331-358, March.
    14. Rafik Abdesselam & Jean Bonnet & Patricia Renou-Maissant & Mathilde Aubry, 2018. "Entrepreneurship, economic development, and institutional environment: evidence from OECD countries," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 504-546, December.
    15. Ksenia Podoynitsyna & Hans Van der Bij & Michael Song, 2012. "The Role of Mixed Emotions in the Risk Perception of Novice and Serial Entrepreneurs," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(1), pages 115-140, January.
    16. Cardon, Melissa S. & Gregoire, Denis A. & Stevens, Christopher E. & Patel, Pankaj C., 2013. "Measuring entrepreneurial passion: Conceptual foundations and scale validation," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 373-396.
    17. Nigam, Nirjhar & Benetti, Cristiane & Johan, Sofia A., 2020. "Digital start-up access to venture capital financing: What signals quality?," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).
    18. Joseph McManus, 2018. "Hubris and Unethical Decision Making: The Tragedy of the Uncommon," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 149(1), pages 169-185, April.
    19. Muñoz, Pablo & Dimov, Dimo, 2015. "The call of the whole in understanding the development of sustainable ventures," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 632-654.
    20. Catherine Laffineur & Saulo Dubard Barbosa & Alain Fayolle & Emeran Nziali, 2017. "Active labor market programs’ effects on entrepreneurship and unemployment," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 49(4), pages 889-918, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:39:y:2015:i:1:p:1-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.