IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/entthe/v45y2021i1p118-144.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained: Parasite Infection is Associated with Entrepreneurial Initiation, Engagement, and Performance

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel A. Lerner
  • Lars Alkærsig
  • Markus A. Fitza
  • Carina Lomberg
  • Stefanie K. Johnson

Abstract

There is growing evidence that human biology and behavior are influenced by infectious microorganisms. One such microorganism is the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii ( TG ). Using longitudinal data covering the female population of Denmark, we extend research on the relationship between TG infection and entrepreneurial activity and outcomes. Results indicate that TG infection is associated with a subsequent increase in the probability of becoming an entrepreneur, and is linked to other outcomes including venture performance. With parasite behavioral manipulation antithetical to rational judgment, we join a growing conversation on biology and alternative drivers of business venturing.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel A. Lerner & Lars Alkærsig & Markus A. Fitza & Carina Lomberg & Stefanie K. Johnson, 2021. "Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained: Parasite Infection is Associated with Entrepreneurial Initiation, Engagement, and Performance," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(1), pages 118-144, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:45:y:2021:i:1:p:118-144
    DOI: 10.1177/1042258719890992
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1042258719890992
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/1042258719890992?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. Lerner, Daniel A., 2016. "Behavioral disinhibition and nascent venturing: Relevance and initial effects on potential resource providers," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 234-252.
    2. Lerner, Daniel A. & Hatak, Isabella & Rauch, Andreas, 2018. "Deep roots? Behavioral Inhibition and Behavioral Activation System (BIS/BAS) sensitivity and entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 9(C), pages 107-115.
    3. Robbert Maseland, 2013. "Parasitical cultures? The cultural origins of institutions and development," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 109-136, June.
    4. Nadia Simoes & Nuno Crespo & Sandrina B. Moreira, 2016. "Individual Determinants Of Self-Employment Entry: What Do We Really Know?," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 783-806, September.
    5. Berglann, Helge & Moen, Espen R. & Røed, Knut & Skogstrøm, Jens Fredrik, 2011. "Entrepreneurship: Origins and returns," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 180-193, April.
    6. Dvouletý, Ondřej, 2018. "How to analyse determinants of entrepreneurship and self-employment at the country level? A methodological contribution," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 9(C), pages 92-99.
    7. Wiklund, Johan & Patzelt, Holger & Dimov, Dimo, 2016. "Entrepreneurship and psychological disorders: How ADHD can be productively harnessed," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 6(C), pages 14-20.
    8. Wiklund, Johan & Yu, Wei & Tucker, Reginald & Marino, Louis D., 2017. "ADHD, impulsivity and entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 627-656.
    9. Martin Obschonka & Michael Stuetzer, 2017. "Integrating psychological approaches to entrepreneurship: the Entrepreneurial Personality System (EPS)," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 49(1), pages 203-231, June.
    10. Daniel A. Lerner & Richard A. Hunt & Ingrid Verheul, 2017. "Dueling Banjos: Harmony and Discord between ADHD and Entrepreneurship," Working Papers 2017-07, Colorado School of Mines, Division of Economics and Business.
    11. Hunt, Richard A. & Lerner, Daniel A., 2018. "Entrepreneurial action as human action: Sometimes judgment-driven, sometimes not," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 10(C), pages 1-1.
    12. Michael, Steven C., 2003. "First mover advantage through franchising," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 61-80, January.
    13. Peter W. Moroz & Kevin Hindle, 2012. "Entrepreneurship as a Process: Toward Harmonizing Multiple Perspectives," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(4), pages 781-818, July.
    14. Barton H. Hamilton, 2000. "Does Entrepreneurship Pay? An Empirical Analysis of the Returns to Self-Employment," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 108(3), pages 604-631, June.
    15. Marco Gelderen & Teemu Kautonen & Joakim Wincent & Marina Biniari, 2018. "Implementation intentions in the entrepreneurial process: concept, empirical findings, and research agenda," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 51(4), pages 923-941, December.
    16. Stephen X. Zhang & Javier Cueto, 2017. "The Study of Bias in Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 41(3), pages 419-454, May.
    17. Johan Wiklund & Dean A. Shepherd, 2008. "Portfolio Entrepreneurship: Habitual and Novice Founders, New Entry, and Mode of Organizing," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 32(4), pages 701-725, July.
    18. Michael G. Jacobides & Sidney G. Winter, 2007. "Entrepreneurship and Firm Boundaries: The Theory of A Firm," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(7), pages 1213-1241, November.
    19. DeMartino, Richard & Barbato, Robert, 2003. "Differences between women and men MBA entrepreneurs: exploring family flexibility and wealth creation as career motivators," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 815-832, November.
    20. Lerner, Daniel A. & Hunt, Richard A. & Dimov, Dimo, 2018. "Action! Moving beyond the intendedly-rational logics of entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 52-69.
    21. A. Amaral & Rui Baptista & Francisco Lima, 2011. "Serial entrepreneurship: impact of human capital on time to re-entry," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 37(1), pages 1-21, July.
    22. Lasha Lanchava & Kyle Carlson & Blanka Šebánková & Jaroslav Flegr & Gideon Nave, 2015. "No Evidence of Association between Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Financial Risk Taking in Females," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(9), pages 1-17, September.
    23. Zhang, Zhen & Zyphur, Michael J. & Narayanan, Jayanth & Arvey, Richard D. & Chaturvedi, Sankalp & Avolio, Bruce J. & Lichtenstein, Paul & Larsson, Gerry, 2009. "The genetic basis of entrepreneurship: Effects of gender and personality," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 110(2), pages 93-107, November.
    24. Daniel A. Lerner & Ingrid Verheul & Roy Thurik, 2019. "Entrepreneurship and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a large-scale study involving the clinical condition of ADHD," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 381-392, August.
    25. Nicos Nicolaou & Pankaj C. Patel & Marcus T. Wolfe, 2018. "Testosterone and Tendency to Engage in Self-Employment," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(4), pages 1825-1841, April.
    26. Shaker A. Zahra & Harry J. Sapienza & Per Davidsson, 2006. "Entrepreneurship and Dynamic Capabilities: A Review, Model and Research Agenda," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(4), pages 917-955, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hunt, Richard A. & Lerner, Daniel A. & Johnson, Sheri L. & Badal, Sangeeta & Freeman, Michael A., 2022. "Cracks in the wall: Entrepreneurial action theory and the weakening presumption of intended rationality," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 37(3).
    2. Wim Van Lent & Richard A. Hunt & Daniel A. Lerner, 2023. "Historiography and the excavation of nascent business venturing," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(1), pages 285-303, June.
    3. G. Christopher Crawford & Vitaliy Skorodziyevskiy & Casey J. Frid & Thomas E. Nelson & Zahra Booyavi & Diana M. Hechavarria & Xuanye Li & Paul D. Reynolds & Ehsan Teymourian, 2022. "Advancing Entrepreneurship Theory Through Replication: A Case Study on Contemporary Methodological Challenges, Future Best Practices, and an Entreaty for Communality," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 46(3), pages 779-799, May.
    4. Hunt, Richard A. & Lerner, Daniel A. & Ortiz-Hunt, Avery, 2022. "Lassie shrugged: The premise and importance of considering non-human entrepreneurial action," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 17(C).

    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. Pankaj C. Patel & Cornelius A. Rietveld & Ingrid Verheul, 2021. "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Earnings in Later-Life Self-Employment," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(1), pages 43-63, January.
    2. Wei Yu & Johan Wiklund & Ana Pérez-Luño, 2021. "ADHD Symptoms, Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO), and Firm Performance," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(1), pages 92-117, January.
    3. Brian C. Gunia & J. Jeffrey Gish & Mona Mensmann, 2021. "The Weary Founder: Sleep Problems, ADHD-Like Tendencies, and Entrepreneurial Intentions," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(1), pages 175-210, January.
    4. Daniel A. Lerner & Ingrid Verheul & Roy Thurik, 2019. "Entrepreneurship and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a large-scale study involving the clinical condition of ADHD," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 381-392, August.
    5. Wim Van Lent & Richard A. Hunt & Daniel A. Lerner, 2023. "Historiography and the excavation of nascent business venturing," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(1), pages 285-303, June.
    6. Rajah, Nasir & Bamiatzi, Vassiliki & Williams, Nick, 2021. "How childhood ADHD-like symptoms predict selection into entrepreneurship and implications on entrepreneurial performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(3).
    7. Freeman, Michael & Lerner, Daniel & Rauch, Andreas, 2024. "Dopamine and entrepreneurship: Unifying entrepreneur personality traits, psychiatric symptoms, entrepreneurial action and outcomes," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 21(C).
    8. Nicos Nicolaou & Phillip H. Phan & Ute Stephan, 2021. "The Biological Perspective in Entrepreneurship Research," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(1), pages 3-17, January.
    9. Hunt, Richard A. & Lerner, Daniel A. & Johnson, Sheri L. & Badal, Sangeeta & Freeman, Michael A., 2022. "Cracks in the wall: Entrepreneurial action theory and the weakening presumption of intended rationality," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 37(3).
    10. Leung, Y.K. & Franken, I.H.A. & Thurik, A.R., 2020. "Psychiatric symptoms and entrepreneurial intention: The role of the behavioral activation system," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 13(C).
    11. Emanuela Carbonara & Hien Thu Tran & Enrico Santarelli, 2020. "Determinants of novice, portfolio, and serial entrepreneurship: an occupational choice approach," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 55(1), pages 123-151, June.
    12. Lerner, Daniel A. & Hatak, Isabella & Rauch, Andreas, 2018. "Deep roots? Behavioral Inhibition and Behavioral Activation System (BIS/BAS) sensitivity and entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 9(C), pages 107-115.
    13. Warnick, Benjamin J. & Kier, Alexander S. & LaFrance, Emily M. & Cuttler, Carrie, 2021. "Head in the clouds? Cannabis users' creativity in new venture ideation depends on their entrepreneurial passion and experience," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(2).
    14. Tucker, Reginald & Zuo, Lu & Marino, Louis D. & Lowman, Graham H. & Sleptsov, Alexander, 2021. "ADHD and entrepreneurship: Beyond person-entrepreneurship fit," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 15(C).
    15. Yu, Wei & Zhu, Fei & Foo, Maw Der & Wiklund, Johan, 2022. "What does not kill you makes you stronger: Entrepreneurs’ childhood adversity, resilience, and career success," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 40-55.
    16. Jarno Stappers & Petra Andries, 2022. "The role of distinct ADHD symptoms for pre-entry entrepreneurial behavior: when intentions do not translate into action," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(3), pages 1441-1457, March.
    17. Packard, Mark D. & Bylund, Per L., 2021. "From homo economicus to homo agens: Toward a subjective rationality for entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(6).
    18. Greidanus, Nathan Sidney & Liao, Chi, 2021. "Toward a coping-dueling-fit theory of the ADHD-entrepreneurship relationship: Treatment's influence on business venturing, performance, and persistence," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(2).
    19. Kurdoglu, Rasim Serdar & Lerner, Daniel & Ates, Nufer Yasin, 2022. "Unsticking the rationality stalemate: Motivated reasoning, reality, and irrationality," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 18(C).
    20. Francesco Campo & Luca Nunziata & Lorenzo Rocco, 2024. "Business is tense: new evidence on how language affects economic activity," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 29(1), pages 121-149, March.

    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:45:y:2021:i:1:p:118-144. 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.