IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/intemj/v16y2020i3d10.1007_s11365-019-00612-6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Top athletes’ psychological characteristics and their potential for entrepreneurship

Author

Listed:
  • Kathrin M. Steinbrink

    (University of Hohenheim)

  • Elisabeth S.C. Berger

    (University of Hohenheim)

  • Andreas Kuckertz

    (University of Hohenheim)

Abstract

The role of personality traits as predictors of entrepreneurial intention and success has been widely researched. This article investigates the personality traits of top athletes practising low-risk- and high-risk-sports and, based on the person-job fit theory, compares them to the personality traits commonly associated with entrepreneurship. To achieve this aim, the big five personality traits and risk propensity of 43 non-athletes, 36 top athletes practising a low-risk-sport, and 31 top athletes practising a high-risk-sport are measured and analysed with an analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc tests. Furthermore, an explanatory approach is used to explain the similarities between the athletes’ and the entrepreneurs’ careers. The results show top athletes’ personality traits match the detected directions for entrepreneurial intention and success, and the discussion examines whether entrepreneurship might be an appropriate second career choice for athletes. This study is based on data gathered from high-level competition athletes and thus makes it possible to draw inferences on the eligibility of athletes to become entrepreneurs based on their personality traits. The findings also signal the need for focused entrepreneurship education as well as an awareness among potential investors and future employers who could facilitate professional athletes becoming entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs.

Suggested Citation

  • Kathrin M. Steinbrink & Elisabeth S.C. Berger & Andreas Kuckertz, 2020. "Top athletes’ psychological characteristics and their potential for entrepreneurship," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 859-878, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:intemj:v:16:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s11365-019-00612-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s11365-019-00612-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11365-019-00612-6
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11365-019-00612-6?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vanessa Ratten, 2019. "Sports Technology and Innovation," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-319-75046-0, February.
    2. Vanessa Ratten, 2015. "Athletes as entrepreneurs: the role of social capital and leadership ability," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 25(4), pages 442-455.
    3. Vanessa Ratten, 2012. "Sport entrepreneurship: challenges and directions for future research," International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 4(1), pages 65-76.
    4. Florian Hemme & Dominic G. Morais & Matthew T. Bowers & Janice S. Todd, 2017. "Extending sport-based entrepreneurship theory through phenomenological inquiry," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 92-104, January.
    5. Josette Dijkhuizen & Marjan Gorgievski & Marc Veldhoven & René Schalk, 2016. "Feeling successful as an entrepreneur: a job demands — resources approach," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 555-573, June.
    6. Walsh, Grace S. & Cunningham, James A., 2016. "Business Failure and Entrepreneurship: Emergence, Evolution and Future Research," Foundations and Trends(R) in Entrepreneurship, now publishers, vol. 12(3), pages 163-285, July.
    7. Brändle, Leif & Berger, Elisabeth S.C. & Golla, Stephan & Kuckertz, Andreas, 2018. "I am what I am - How nascent entrepreneurs’ social identity affects their entrepreneurial self-efficacy," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 9(C), pages 17-23.
    8. Hemme, Florian & Morais, Dominic G. & Bowers, Matthew T. & Todd, Janice S., 2017. "Extending sport-based entrepreneurship theory through phenomenological inquiry," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 92-104.
    9. Rachel Croson & Uri Gneezy, 2009. "Gender Differences in Preferences," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 47(2), pages 448-474, June.
    10. Nigel Nicholson & Emma Soane & Mark Fenton-O'Creevy & Paul Willman, 2005. "Personality and domain-specific risk taking," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(2), pages 157-176, March.
    11. Jonas Hammerschmidt & Fabian Eggers & Sascha Kraus & Paul Jones & Matthias Filser, 0. "Entrepreneurial orientation in sports entrepreneurship - a mixed methods analysis of professional soccer clubs in the German-speaking countries," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-19.
    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. Ratten, Vanessa & da Silva Braga, Vitor Lélio & da Encarnação Marques, Carla Susana, 2021. "Sport entrepreneurship and value co-creation in times of crisis: The covid-19 pandemic," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 265-274.
    2. Kun-Huang Huarng & Tiffany Hui-Kuang Yu, 2021. "Complexity theory of entrepreneur characteristics," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 1037-1048, September.
    3. Gholamhossein Hosseininia & Hossein Sadeghi & Lida Sharafi & Hossein Azadi, 2022. "Assessing the willingness of agricultural graduates to participate in entrepreneurial business in Kermanshah Province, Iran," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 12(1), pages 479-497, December.

    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. Massimiliano M. Pellegrini & Riccardo Rialti & Giacomo Marzi & Andrea Caputo, 2020. "Sport entrepreneurship: A synthesis of existing literature and future perspectives," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 795-826, September.
    2. Paloma Escamilla-Fajardo & Juan Manuel Núñez-Pomar & Ana María Gómez-Tafalla, 2020. "Exploring Environmental and Entrepreneurial Antecedents of Social Performance in Spanish Sports Clubs: A Symmetric and Asymmetric Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-17, May.
    3. Paul Jones & Vanessa Ratten & Ted Hayduk, 0. "Sport, fitness, and lifestyle entrepreneurship," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-11.
    4. Pompiliu-Nicolae Constantin & Rares Stanescu & Monica Stanescu, 2020. "Social Entrepreneurship and Sport in Romania: How Can Former Athletes Contribute to Sustainable Social Change?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-15, June.
    5. Paul Jones & Vanessa Ratten & Ted Hayduk, 2020. "Sport, fitness, and lifestyle entrepreneurship," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 783-793, September.
    6. Stephen Dobson & Pete McLuskie, 0. "Performative entrepreneurship: identity, behaviour and place in adventure sports Enterprise," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-17.
    7. Stephen Dobson & Pete McLuskie, 2020. "Performative entrepreneurship: identity, behaviour and place in adventure sports Enterprise," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 879-895, September.
    8. Jonas Hammerschmidt & Fabian Eggers & Sascha Kraus & Paul Jones & Matthias Filser, 2020. "Entrepreneurial orientation in sports entrepreneurship - a mixed methods analysis of professional soccer clubs in the German-speaking countries," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 839-857, September.
    9. Lönnqvist, Jan-Erik & Verkasalo, Markku & Walkowitz, Gari & Wichardt, Philipp C., 2015. "Measuring individual risk attitudes in the lab: Task or ask? An empirical comparison," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 254-266.
    10. J. M. Núñez-Pomar & P. Escamilla-Fajardo & V. Prado-Gascó, 2020. "Relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and social performance in Spanish sports clubs. The effect of the type of funding and the level of competition," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 981-999, September.
    11. J. M. Núñez-Pomar & P. Escamilla-Fajardo & V. Prado-Gascó, 0. "Relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and social performance in Spanish sports clubs. The effect of the type of funding and the level of competition," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-19.
    12. Paloma Escamilla-Fajardo & Mario Alguacil & Ana M. Gómez-Tafalla, 2021. "Effects of Entrepreneurial Orientation and Passion for Work on Performance Variables in Sports Clubs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-15, March.
    13. Alison C. Cullen & C. Leigh Anderson & Pierre Biscaye & Travis W. Reynolds, 2018. "Variability in Cross‐Domain Risk Perception among Smallholder Farmers in Mali by Gender and Other Demographic and Attitudinal Characteristics," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(7), pages 1361-1377, July.
    14. Paloma Escamilla-Fajardo & Juan M. Núñez-Pomar & Ferran Calabuig-Moreno & Ana M. Gómez-Tafalla, 2020. "Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sports Entrepreneurship," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-12, October.
    15. Thomas Dohmen & Simone Quercia & Jana Willrodt, 2023. "On the psychology of the relation between optimism and risk taking," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 67(2), pages 193-214, October.
    16. Vanessa Ratten & Paul Jones, 0. "New challenges in sport entrepreneurship for value creation," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-20.
    17. Huhtala, Anni & Remes, Piia, 2017. "Quantifying the social costs of nuclear energy: Perceived risk of accident at nuclear power plants," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 320-331.
    18. Jonas Hammerschmidt & María Huertas González-Serrano & Kaisu Puumalainen & Ferran Calabuig, 2024. "Sport entrepreneurship: the role of innovation and creativity in sport management," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 18(11), pages 3173-3202, November.
    19. Nieboer, Jeroen, 2015. "Group member characteristics and risk taking by consensus," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 81-88.
    20. Pepper, Alexander & Gore, Julie, 2014. "The economic psychology of incentives: an international study of top managers," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 51655, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

    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:spr:intemj:v:16:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s11365-019-00612-6. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.