Do genetic factors account for the tendency to be an entrepreneur? A fascinating study just published in the Journal of Applied Psychology entitled “Genetics, the Big Five, and the Tendency to Be Self-Employed” tackles this question by examining 1702 identical and 1710 fraternal twins from the UK and 694 identical and 606 fraternal twins from the US. The lead author of the study is Scott Shane, who also wrote the exceptional book Illusions of Entrepreneurship.
Shane and his colleagues hypothesized that one of the ways genetics might manifest itself in entrepreneurial tendencies is through personality. With respect to the Big Five personality characteristics, entrepreneurs are more likely to be Extraverted, Open to Experience, Conscientious, Emotionally Stable, and Disagreeable “because agreeable people are less likely to pursue their own self-interest, drive difficult bargains, or use others to achieve their own objectives” (p. 1155).
To read the full, original article click on this link: Is Entrepreneurship In Your Genes? | Bret L. Simmons - Positive Organizational Behavior
Author: Bret L. Simmons
