IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/intemj/v20y2024i2d10.1007_s11365-024-00946-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Does dispositional optimism affect entrepreneurial success? Evidence from Saudi Arabia

Author

Listed:
  • Elhem Ben Fatma

    (Qassim University)

  • Léo-Paul Dana

    (ICD Business School, Paris, France and LUT School of Business and Management, Lappeenranta University of Technology)

  • Souhir Elleuch

    (Qassim University)

  • Ezzeddine Ben Mohamed

    (Qassim University)

Abstract

This study explores the effect of dispositional optimism bias on entrepreneurial success. By reviewing a mixture of previous studies from different disciplines: psychology, business and economics, we predict that this bias can positively affect entrepreneurial success. Based on a sample of 255 entrepreneurs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and using the LOT-R psychometric test to measure the level of dispositional optimism among entrepreneurs, the effect of this variable on entrepreneurial success was tested, and the results show that this bias positively affects entrepreneurial success. Entrepreneurial success was also measured through three different proxies: the level of entrepreneurs’ satisfaction with what has been achieved from their entrepreneurial projects, the variation in the number of employees, and sales growth and the results were stable. We also find that entrepreneurs’ experience, age, and gender can influence entrepreneurial success. Finally, we should view entrepreneurial success not only as a function of traditional variables but also as a function of psychological biases.

Suggested Citation

  • Elhem Ben Fatma & Léo-Paul Dana & Souhir Elleuch & Ezzeddine Ben Mohamed, 2024. "Does dispositional optimism affect entrepreneurial success? Evidence from Saudi Arabia," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 1127-1152, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:intemj:v:20:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s11365-024-00946-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11365-024-00946-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11365-024-00946-w
    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/s11365-024-00946-w?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.

    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:20:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s11365-024-00946-w. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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.