An Analysis of the Relationship Between Sustainability Focus and Grit in German Entrepreneurs

The purpose of this study is to delve into the personalities and the values that make up German entrepreneurs. The rising awareness regarding sustainability issues and the wish to counteract them led to the creation of what is known as sustainable entrepreneurship. This type of entrepreneurship tries to solve current sustainability issues through market innovation. With this said, the objective of this study is to find whether a relationship exists between an entrepreneur’s sustainability orientation and the existence of sustainable entrepreneurship. Additionally, it sets out to see how a psychological concept like grit, meaning the Perseverance of Effort and Consistency of Interest over a long period of time, influences the relationship between them. To analyze these relationships, the three topics were viewed through the lens of literature review, especially focusing on the perspective offered through the Triple Bottom Line. Moreover, empirical research was conducted by using a questionnaire that had 29 German respondents, defining themselves as entrepreneurs. The results indicate that sustainability orientation is an antecedent for sustainable entrepreneurship. However, a positive relationship between sustainability orientation and grit could not be detected. Therefore, it was found that grit does not play a mediating role between the independent variable (sustainability orientation) and the dependent variable (sustainable entrepreneurship). Moreover, this study highlights the importance of psychological research into the personality of entrepreneurs to foster entrepreneurial action in the future. The second valuable area being the implementation of sustainable behavior into the economy and personal life, benefitting the individual’s state of mind, as well as society.