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Entrepreneurship and Differences in Locus of Control

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K Kroeck
K Kroeck
K Kroeck
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Galen
Galen
Galen
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Amanda Bullough at University of Delaware
Amanda Bullough
Paul D. Reynolds at Aston University
Paul D. Reynolds
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Entrepreneurship and Differences in Locus of Control
Kroeck, K Galen;Bullough, Amanda M;Reynolds, Paul D
Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship; Jan 2010; 15, 1; ABI/INFORM Complete
pg. 21
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... To some degree, findings have been disaggregated by gender and race-though more research is needed on this front. For example, although women seem to hold a more externalized belief about luck than men (Sherman et al., 1997), female entrepreneurs tend to hold a more internalized belief about luck than the general population of women (Kroeck et al., 2010). Another study found that internal locus of control related to women's skills, ability, competency, and hard work were major factors affecting a woman's entrepreneurial orientation (Spillan & Brazier, 2003). ...
... A similar phenomenon holds true for African American entrepreneurs (Kroeck et al., 2010). These discrepancies may explain why fewer people from communities of color engage in entrepreneurship; a high internal locus of control positively predicts one's likelihood of entrepreneurial engagement (Hisrich et al., 2007;Mohd Noor et al., 2021). ...
... Interestingly, differences in perceptions of luck become relatively equalized when analyzed within entrepreneurs as an analytical category. Groups of people within the entrepreneur demographic who would stereotypically lean toward a more externalized belief of luck, such as women or African Americans, tend to hold a more internalized viewpoint (Arkorful & Hilton, 2021;Kroeck et al., 2010). Thus, trends in the perception of luck comparing entrepreneurs with the general population may not hold as well when assessing entrepreneurs only. ...
Do Founders Attribute Their Success to Skill or Luck?
Preprint
Full-text available
  • Apr 2022
This study analyses transcripts derived from 183 podcast interviews that ask successful entrepreneurs whether luck or skill and hard work account for their success. It quantitatively disaggregates founders' answers to this standard question based on differences in their gender, race, and country of origin. Qualitative analysis further considers the degree to which founders' perspectives might be associated with an internalised locus of control and their social positioning, alongside their identities and belief systems. Findings indicate differences across gender, but no strong evidence of difference was evident by race and geography. Thematic analysis of transcripts revealed several additional determinants that founders attributed to their success. By investigating the lived experiences of successful founders disaggregated by gender, race, and geography, this study sheds light on how diverse founders attribute their success to various internal and external forces.
... Locus of control is the behavior that subjects perceive with regard to generalized expectations for control (Levenson, 1973). On the one hand, there is the internal locus of control that is associated with individuals who have control over the results of their achievements, the protection of their interests and the implementation of plans with determination (Kroeck et al., 2010). On the other hand, there is the external locus of control, which is associated with individuals who consider that situations are beyond their immediate control and, therefore, are more influenced by external factors (Anwar and Saleem, 2019;Kroeck et al., 2010;Rotter, 1966). ...
... On the one hand, there is the internal locus of control that is associated with individuals who have control over the results of their achievements, the protection of their interests and the implementation of plans with determination (Kroeck et al., 2010). On the other hand, there is the external locus of control, which is associated with individuals who consider that situations are beyond their immediate control and, therefore, are more influenced by external factors (Anwar and Saleem, 2019;Kroeck et al., 2010;Rotter, 1966). For example, individuals will persist in an activity if they attribute their success to internal, stable and intentional factors while attributing their failures to external, variable or accidental factors (Gatewood et al., 1995). ...
Entrepreneurial attitude in female Latin American university students: internal and external influences
Article
  • Dec 2022
Purpose The aim of this study is to examine the influence of locus of control, the university environment and the social environment on the entrepreneurial attitude of female Latin American university students. Design/methodology/approach The study applies a quan–qual design. The quan section analyzes the data of 10,781 female university students from 11 Latin American countries included in the Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students Survey 2018. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was applied. The qual section applies in-depth interviews for sequential methodological triangulation analysis. Findings The evidence indicates that locus of control, the university environment and the social environment positively impact the entrepreneurial attitude of female Latin American university students. The most influential factor was locus of control. Originality/value This empirical study focuses on female university students and their propensity for business venturing and determines the main influences on their entrepreneurial attitudes.
... Ng et al., (2006) note that perceived control has been extensively explored in psychological literature owing to its association with a number of cognitive, physiological and behavioural outcomes and across a variety of age groups. The notion of control belief was thought to arise from social experiences but others suggest that some people have the disposition to believe that they have control over the external environment than others (Ng et al., 2006;Kroeck, Bullough & Reynolds, 2010;Wang, Bowling, & Eschleman, 2010). This dispositional trait is LOC, which is a different personality trait from the Big Five (which was more popular in organisational research). ...
THE NEXUS BETWEEN LOCUS OF CONTROL AND ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION AMONG FINAL YEAR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN GHANA
Article
Full-text available
  • May 2022
The low job creation prospects in Ghana has intensified efforts to boost young university students' intention to start entrepreneurial activity in the future. Several efforts have been triggered at national levels but not much progress has been made and attempts to understand the phenomenon has been inconclusive. Studies have suggested examining the issue from a psychological perspective to offer a more comprehensive understanding of the mind-set of young people regarding entrepreneurship. Several psychological factors have been suggested but one that has been loosely conceptualized within the context is locus of control. This study, therefore, examined locus of control as a key explanatory factor for undergraduate students' entrepreneurial intention. Data was gathered from 298 final year undergraduate students through validated survey instruments. Analysed data using hierarchical multiple regression revealed both internal and external locus of control significantly predicted entrepreneurial intention but external locus of control was found to be a better predictor. The study re-echoes the need to create an entrepreneurial environment that is capable of whipping the interest of students to develop the mind-set for starting their own business venture after graduating from the university. The study also highlights the implications for all those in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Ghana.
Locus of control, need for achievement, and entrepreneurial intention: A moderated mediation model
Article
  • Sep 2021
Applying social cognitive career theory (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 2002) to entrepreneurship, this paper addresses the effects of locus of control and need for achievement on entrepreneurial intentions, and whether the effects are mediated by entrepreneurial self-efficacy and vary according to sex. The participants were 111 students enrolled in the business administration program in Turkey. Using longitudinal survey data, the research model was tested with the moderated mediation procedure suggested by Hayes (2013). The findings showed that entrepreneurial self-efficacy mediated the relationship between locus of control and entrepreneurial intention, as well as the relationship between need for achievement and entrepreneurial intention. Moreover, the conditional indirect analysis showed that the effect of locus of control on entrepreneurial intention depended on sex, with the effect of locus of control being greater for men. By showing empirical evidence for the usefulness of social cognitive career theory to entrepreneurship, our research adds to current literature. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Entrepreneurial Quality of Tionghoa Ethnicity and Malay Ethnicity: Are There Any Differences?
Article
  • Mar 2019
Objective - This study aims to analyse the differences of entrepreneurial quality between Tionghoa entrepreneurs and Malay entrepreneurs. In this study, quality was measured by the need for achievement, locus of control, risk-taking behaviour, perseverance, independence, creativity, and knowledge. Methodology/Technique - The data in this research was collect using self-report questionnaires which were distributed to 60 Tionghoa respondents and 60 Malay respondents. The data then was then tested using a T-test. Findings - The T-test analysis shows that there are significant differences between Tionghoa entrepreneurs and Malay entrepreneurs. Novelty - This study investigates the differences in entrepreneurial quality between Malay and Tionghoa entrepreneurs in the province of West Kalimantan, Indonesia, whereas previous studies have focused on other countries. Type of Paper: Empirical Keywords: Entrepreneurial Quality; Malay Ethnicity; Thionghoa Ethnicity; Need for Achievement; Locus of Control; Risk-taking; Perseverance; Independence; Creativity; Knowledge. JEL Classification: M10, M19.
Effectuation (EF) and Causation (CS) on Venture Performance and Entrepreneurs’ Dispositions Affecting the Reliance on EF and CS
Article
  • Feb 2021
This study investigates whether and how different decision logics (i.e., effectuation and causation) are linked to venture performance (i.e., annual average growth in revenue and profit as well as subjective assessments of venture performance and funding status). We also examine how dispositional characteristics of an entrepreneur (i.e., learning and performance goal orientations, ambiguity tolerance, desire for change, and locus of control) influence the use of different decision logics. The results indicate that causation has a significantly positive effect on revenue growth as well as subjective assessments of venture performance and funding status, while effectuation has a significantly negative effect on profit growth. We find that learning-goal orientation leads to a greater reliance on effectuation, while performance-goal orientation increases the use of causation. An internal locus of control positively affects the reliance on both effectuation and causation, while the desire for change increases the use of effectuation.
Values-based entrepreneurship for societal impact in Africa
Book
  • Mar 2021
Entrepreneurship research and practice has received a great deal of attention in the past decade. Due to the role that entrepreneurial activities can play in tackling grand challenges, the predominant focus of such studies has been on the entrepreneurial journey, the network, the impact, the process, as well as the cultivation of ‘the entrepreneur’. However, as studies in entrepreneurship have grown, maintaining the balance between objective and subjective implications have proven to be challenging. To this end, there has been an increase in calls for ‘contextualizing’ entrepreneurship research, cutting across levels of analysis in order to be able to provide relevant suggestions for research and practice. In an attempt to address this call, this book provides the first theoretical and empirical collection of studies that are embedded in and borne out of the context of (south) Africa. The continent is home to seven out of 10 fastest growing economies in the world (WEF, 2017), and from a business perspective, it is considered by Alex Liu, chairman of A.T Kearney “a large-scale start-up” (WEF, 2019). Yet, little is known about the state of entrepreneurial activities that aim to shape the continent's future. This book delves into the micro and macro level foundations of entrepreneurial activities across southern (Africa), providing theoretical frameworks that take into consideration the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the continent, as well as the formal and informal economy that contribute to the growth and development of its countries.
Proactive Entrepreneurs: Who Are They and How Are They Different?
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The uniqueness of entrepreneurs is a common theme in academic literature and yet, scholars have expressed scepticism about the generalisability of any specific personal characteristic. We argue that the relationship between personal characteristics and entrepreneurial propensity is likely nuanced and will vary by type of entrepreneurial engagement. We compared a specific subset of entrepreneurs, those who willingly risk their personal finances, careers and reputations to pursue their business ventures on a full-time basis, to their non-entrepreneur counterparts. We found these entrepreneurs, termed proactive, differed significantly within four key psychological characteristics: openness to new experiences, work centrality, self-reliance and entrepreneurial self-efficacy.
Öğretmen Adaylarının Sosyal Sermaye ve Girişimcilik Düzeylerinin Değerlendirilmesi
Thesis
Full-text available
  • Aug 2019
Bu araştırmanın amacı, öğretmen adaylarının sosyal sermaye ve girişimcilik düzeylerinin değerlendirilmesi, sosyal sermaye ve girişimcilikleri arasındaki ilişkinin belirlenmesi ve sosyal sermayelerinin girişimciliklerini yordama düzeyinin incelenmesidir. Araştırma nicel ve betimsel nitelikte olup tarama modeline göre desenlenmiştir. Araştırmanın evrenini, 2017-2018 eğitim-öğretim yılında Türkiye'deki devlet üniversitelerinin eğitim fakültelerinde bulunan Temel Eğitim Bölümlerinin, Okul Öncesi Eğitimi ve Sınıf Eğitimi Anabilim Dalları'nda öğrenim gören öğretmen adayları oluşturmuştur. Araştırmanın örneklemi ise Atatürk, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart, Dokuz Eylül, Ondokuz Mayıs ve Uşak Üniversiteleri'nin Eğitim Fakülteleri'ndeki Okul Öncesi ve Sınıf Eğitimi Anabilim Dalları'nın birinci ve dördüncü sınıflarında öğrenim görmekte olan öğretmen adayları olarak belirlenmiştir. Araştırmanın örneklemini ölçüt örnekleme yöntemi ile belirlenmiş olan üniversitelerde öğrenim görmekte olan 811 öğretmen adayı oluşturmuştur. Araştırmanın verileri, araştırmacı ve danışmanı tarafından geliştirilmiş olan "Üniversite Öğrencilerine Yönelik Sosyal Sermaye Ölçeği" ve Deveci ve Çepni (2015a) tarafından geliştirilmiş olan "Öğretmen Adaylarına Yönelik Girişimcilik Ölçeği" ile toplanmıştır. Araştırma verilerinin analizinde, verilerin normallik varsayımının sağlandığı durumlarda kullanılan testlerden Bağımsız Örneklemler t-Testi ve Bağımsız Örneklemler İçin Tek Faktörlü Varyans Analizi (One-Way Anova), basit doğrusal korelasyon tekniklerinden Pearson Momentler Çarpımı yani Pearson Korelasyon Katsayısı, yordayıcı değişkenin yordanan değişkendeki değişimlerin ne kadarını açıkladığını tespit etmek için Basit ve Çoklu Doğrusal Regresyon analizleri yapılmış ve determinasyon katsayıları hesaplanmıştır. Sosyal sermaye ile girişimcilik ve girişimciliğin boyutları arasındaki nedensel ilişkiyi incelemek için yapısal eşitlik modeli kullanılmış ve yol analizi oluşturulmuştur. Araştırma bulgularına göre öğretmen adaylarının sosyal sermaye ve girişimcilik düzeyleri ortalamanın üzerinde çıkmıştır. Ayrıca öğretmen adaylarının sosyal sermaye düzeylerinin cinsiyet, öğrenim görülen bölüm ve sınıf düzeyi ve mezuniyetten sonra çalışılmak istenen sektöre göre anlamlı bir şekilde farklılaşmadığı ancak herhangi bir öğrenci topluluğuna ve sivil toplum kuruluşuna üye olma durumuna göre anlamlı bir şekilde farklılaştığı belirlenmiştir. Öğretmen adaylarının girişimcilik düzeylerinin ise öğrenim görülen bölüme göre anlamlı bir şekilde farklılaşmadığı ancak öğrenim görülen üniversite, cinsiyet, öğrenim görülen sınıf düzeyi, herhangi bir öğrenci topluluğuna ve sivil toplum kuruluşuna üye olma durumu ve mezuniyetten sonra çalışılmak istenen sektöre göre anlamlı bir şekilde farklılaştığı ortaya çıkmıştır. Bununla birlikte, öğretmen adaylarının sosyal sermaye ve girişimcilikleri arasında orta düzeyde, pozitif ve anlamlı bir ilişki görülürken sosyal sermayenin, girişimciliğin düşük düzeyde ancak anlamlı bir yordayıcısı olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Yapısal eşitlik modeli ile kurulan yol analizinde de sosyal sermayenin girişimciliği yüksek düzeyde etkilediği ancak girişimciliğin yenilikçi olma boyutunu etkilemediği belirlenmiştir.
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This paper discusses Black-American entrepreneurship in the U.S.: its beginnings, the context for Black enterprise, and the philosophy of Black-American business. Then it focuses on the food-service industry and the participation that Black-American entrepreneurs have had in it. The paper highlights the role that Black food-service entrepreneurs have played in employment and wealth creation in the Black community. It concludes with a series of issues that are suggested to form the basis for a research agenda in Black entrepreneurship in the foodservice industry.