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Personal initiative training for small business owners

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  • Frese, Michael
  • Hass, Lydia
  • Friedrich, Christian

Abstract

Research shows that personal initiative is important for small business owners' success (Frese, 2009). An intervention study in Germany evaluated a 3-day personal initiative intervention program for small scale business owners. This intervention consisted of a training that taught a proactive, self-starting approach to planning, innovation, time management and goal-setting and the ability to overcome barriers. A before-and-after design was used for the training group (N=36); the dependent variable was employment growth which we also measured in a comparison group (N=97). Measures were ascertained before the intervention, directly afterwards and 1 year after the training. We found positive changes after the training and the participants of the training group employed about 20% more employees after the training than before or than existed in the comparison group. Positive effects occurred on all four of Kirkpatrick's (1975) evaluation levels: reaction, learning, behavior-based, and success measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Frese, Michael & Hass, Lydia & Friedrich, Christian, 2016. "Personal initiative training for small business owners," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 5(C), pages 27-36.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobuve:v:5:y:2016:i:c:p:27-36
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbvi.2016.01.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Hmieleski, Keith M. & Corbett, Andrew C., 2008. "The contrasting interaction effects of improvisational behavior with entrepreneurial self-efficacy on new venture performance and entrepreneur work satisfaction," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 482-496, July.
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    5. Martin, Bruce C. & McNally, Jeffrey J. & Kay, Michael J., 2013. "Examining the formation of human capital in entrepreneurship: A meta-analysis of entrepreneurship education outcomes," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 211-224.
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    7. Rosenbusch, Nina & Brinckmann, Jan & Bausch, Andreas, 2011. "Is innovation always beneficial? A meta-analysis of the relationship between innovation and performance in SMEs," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 441-457, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sebastian Fischer & Michael Frese & Jennifer Clarissa Mertins & Julia Verena Hardt & Thomas Flock & Juri Schauder & Michael Schmitz & Jette Wiegel, 2014. "Climate for Personal Initiative and Radical and Incremental Innovation in Firms: A Validation Study," Journal of Enterprising Culture (JEC), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 22(01), pages 91-109.
    2. Siebert, Johannes Ulrich & Kunz, Reinhard E. & Rolf, Philipp, 2021. "Effects of decision training on individuals’ decision-making proactivity," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 294(1), pages 264-282.
    3. Greta Mazzetti & Silvia Simbula & Chiara Panari & Dina Guglielmi & Alessio Paolucci, 2019. "“Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda”. Workers’ Proactivity in the Association between Emotional Demands and Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-13, September.
    4. Deng, Wei & Hubner-Benz, Sylvia & Frese, Michael & Song, Zhaoli, 2023. "Different ways lead to ambidexterity: Configurations for team innovation across China, India, and Singapore," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(3).
    5. Pollack, Jeffrey M. & Barr, Steve & Hanson, Sheila, 2017. "New venture creation as establishing stakeholder relationships: A trust-based perspective," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 7(C), pages 15-20.
    6. Juan Carlos Urueña-Mejía & Luis H. Gutierrez & Paul Rodríguez-Lesmes, 2023. "Financial inclusion and business practices of microbusiness in Colombia," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 13(2), pages 465-494, June.
    7. Klyver, Kim & Steffens, Paul & Honig, Benson, 2022. "Psychological factors explaining Ukrainian refugee entrepreneurs’ venture idea novelty," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 18(C).
    8. Ondřej Dvouletý, 2017. "What is the Relationship between Entrepreneurship and Unemployment in Visegrad Countries?," Central European Business Review, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2017(2), pages 42-53.

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