THE BIG-FIVE PERSONALITY FACTORS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION
Gangaram
Singh, San Diego State University
Alex F. De Noble, San Diego State University
Lucie Kalousova, San Diego State University
Principal Topic
Our study explores the relationship between the big-five personality factors and entrepreneurial intention. As such, it fits squarely into the literature on the antecedents of entrepreneurship. Past research has focused on the need for achievement as well as social psychological characteristics such as attitude and self-efficacy.
Method
The big-five personality factors are extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience. Our hypothesis states that entrepreneurial intention is positively correlated with extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience, and negatively correlated with neuroticism. We collected data from 438 business administration students at a large state university on the West Coast of the United States. Data collection followed the guidelines of the Committee on the Protection of Human Subjects, which mandated voluntary participation, informed consent, and anonymity. We used a multidimensional scale to measure entrepreneurial intention. Mini-markers, from the psychology literature, are used to capture the big-five personality factors.
Results and Implications
The mini-markers are verified by our data. OLS regression shows that entrepreneurial intention is positively correlated with openness to experience and negatively correlated with neuroticism. These results, in addition, are generally robust across four populations—men, women, those who had (and did not have) a close self-employed relative. Our study has implications for researchers and practitioners. It fills an important omission on the antecedents of entrepreneurship. Personality profiles are used in criminal justice and in the selection of employees for an organization. We believe that it could also be used in decisions that involve entrepreneurship. An individual with a personality profile that is conducive to entrepreneurship can be encouraged (e.g., counseling, education or training). This research can also be combined with other antecedent research on entrepreneurial self-efficacy and career anchors to develop a more comprehensive model of influences on entrepreneurial intention. Such work can also be used as a screening mechanism for an entrepreneurial career path.
CONTACT: Alex De Noble, Department of Management, College of Business Administration, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92181; (T) 619-594-4890; (F) 619-594-3272; adenoble@mail.sdsu.edu
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