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Entrepreneurs’ attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms and growth aspirations: the moderating role of team and industry characteristics

Author

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  • Jarno Stappers

    (Ghent University)

  • Petra Andries

    (Ghent University)

Abstract

Recent research reveals a positive relationship between entrepreneurs’ ADHD symptoms and entrepreneurial outcomes. Building on expectancy theory, we enlarges our current understanding that entrepreneurs with more ADHD symptoms will engage more in innovation and internationalization, which will lead to higher growth aspirations for their venture. More importantly, we expect this relationship between ADHD symptoms and growth aspirations to be more positive when the entrepreneur is part of a larger top management team and when the venture is active in a knowledge-intensive industry. SEM and Causal Mediation Analysis on a sample of 543 founders and their start-ups partially confirm our hypotheses. These findings improve our understanding of the role of ADHD symptoms for entrepreneurial growth aspirations by pointing to the top management team and industry context as important contingencies. More generally, they advance our understanding of how entrepreneurs’ psychological characteristics interact with their immediate and wider context in determining entrepreneurial outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Jarno Stappers & Petra Andries, 2024. "Entrepreneurs’ attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms and growth aspirations: the moderating role of team and industry characteristics," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 681-708, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:intemj:v:20:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s11365-023-00888-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11365-023-00888-9
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ADHD; Innovation; Exporting; Entrepreneurship; Growth aspirations; Knowledge;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups

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