Projects / Programmes
Personality and sociological background of entrepreneurs and start-ups, internationalization and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.04.03 |
Social sciences |
Administrative and organisational sciences |
Management |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S190 |
Social sciences |
Management of enterprises |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.06 |
Social Sciences |
Political science |
personality characteristics, sociological background, firm start-up, SMEs, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, manager, management, growth
Researchers (10)
Organisations (4)
Abstract
Scientific background:
Entrepreneurs, the people who start new businesses and lead them in later phases as managers of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), are important for new wealth creation and economic development and are, as persons, central in entrepreneurship and SMEs' development and growth. Researchers in entrepreneurship and management have examined different personality and sociological background characteristics of entrepreneurs and their conclusions have been diverse; some of them claimed that personality characteristics can be predictive of entrepreneurship success, others gave more emphasis to sociological factors. In this study, both psychological and sociological factors of entrepreneurship and SMEs’ internationalization and growth are taken into account.
Problem identification:
Too little is still known about the personality characteristics of entrepreneurs and about their relationship with sociological background characteristics in the prediction of SMEs' start-up, internationalization and growth. For example, particularly insufficient attention has been given to the big five personality characteristics (OCEAN: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, aggreableness, neuroticism) in sense of their relationship to SME owner-managers' family entrepreneurship background and local entrepreneurship support-related background. In this study, we first address this issue by investigating the psychological characteristics in relatonship with sociological background characteristics as determinants of real-life entrepreneurial start-up decisions and intentions through contrasting entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs on the big five personality in relationship with family entrepreneurship and local entrepreneurship support background. Second, and the most important, we will investigate the relationship between the personality and sociological factors and internationalization and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Research objectives:
Key research objectives are to develop and empirically test a a model linking (through hypotheses) personality characteristics of entrepreneurs (the big five) in relationship with their sociological background (family entrepreneurship background and local entrepreneurship support background) and start-ups, internationalization and growth of SMEs, as well as providing important suggestions for performance improvements and management of start-ups and SMEs, as well as recommendations for improvements in social background support.
Scientific relevance:
No past study has included and tested the big five personality characteristics of entrepreneurs in relationship with their family entrepreneurship background and local entrepreneurship support background and start-ups, internationalization and growth of SMEs in a model. The proposed research project will fill the gap in research.
The model content:
The model of the big five personality characteristics of entrepreneurs in relationship with their family entrepreneurship background and local entrepreneurship support background as a driver of start-ups, internationalization and growth of SMEs will be conceptually developed on the basis of past research. The key elements of the model are:
1. Personality characteristics of entrepreneurs, non-entrepreneurs and managers of SMEs (in particular, general characteristics: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism; in addition, specific characteristics: locus of control, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, need for achievement, need for independence, risk-taking propensity).
2. Sociological background characteristics of entrepreneurs, non-entrepreneurs and managers of SMEs (in particular, entrepreneurship family background and entrepreneurship local environment background).
3. Internationalization of SMEs (for example, the degree of internationalization).
4. Growth of SMEs.
The model will include hypotheses with relationships between the elements and will be e
Significance for science
New Scientific Discoveries
Through the development and testing of the new model of personality and sociological background entrepreneurs’ and managers’ characteristics driven firm start-up, internationalization and growth we expect important new findings about impacts of personality and sociological background elements on start-ups, internationalization and growth of SMEs as an important part of the national economy. In particular, we expect that we will be able to determine, with a higher probability than ever before, which personality and sociological background element(s) are relatively more important (have higher impact in the model) than other elements.
Improved Methodological Instruments
By using structural equation modeling we intend to achieve our analyses to be more complete than past research, which has been in a large extent using multiple regression analysis or even more simple analytical techniques. In the proposed research testing and development of constructs will also be emphasized.
Research Field Development
The proposed research has a potential to extend the SME management research area in the part of personality and sociological background-based start-ups, firm internationalization and growth.
Significance for the country
By discovering regularities and nature of relationships between personality and sociological background of entrepreneurs and managers and start-ups, internationalization and growth at the level of firms and consequentially at the overall economy level, this research will provide findings and recommendations, which will have an important role in fostering competitiveness and economic growth.
On one hand, it will contribute to formation of instruments and recommendations for improved analysis, management and acceleration of firm internationalization activities. With this, we expect, our research will contribute to faster and somewhat less risky development of SMEs, and help accelerate performance improvement in terms of growth and consequentialy competitiveness of Slovenian firms.
On the other hand, possible effects of this research on economic growth are not expected only in areas of entrepreneurial and managerial personality and sociological background induced start-ups, firm internationalization and growth, but also in other areas reached by this research (for example, improved management education may increase firm growth).
Most important scientific results
Interim report,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Interim report,
final report
