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The Non-linear Impact of Risk Tolerance on Entrepreneurial Profit and Business Survival

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  • Melanie Koch
  • Lukas Menkhoff

Abstract

Entrepreneurs tend to be risk tolerant but is more risk tolerance always better? In a sample of about 2,100 small businesses, we find an inverted U-shaped relation between risk tolerance and profitability. This relationship holds in a simple bilateral regression and also when we control for a large set of individual and business characteristics. Apparently, one major transmission goes from risk tolerance via investments to profits. This is quite robust as it applies for past investments as well as planned investments. Considering business survival, we show, first, that less profitable businesses leave the market while moderately risk tolerant entrepreneurs survive more often. Second, the high risk-low profit part of the U-shaped relation seems to disappear among businesses being four years and older, indicating that such inferior risk-profit combinations disappear over time. These findings are important for the concept of business readiness trainings as the motivation (and ability) to take risks should potentially be accompanied by some warning that too much risk taking can be detrimental to long-term business success.

Suggested Citation

  • Melanie Koch & Lukas Menkhoff, 2024. "The Non-linear Impact of Risk Tolerance on Entrepreneurial Profit and Business Survival," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 2067, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp2067
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Guido Blasio & Maria Paola & Samuele Poy & Vincenzo Scoppa, 2021. "Massive earthquakes, risk aversion, and entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 295-322, June.
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    3. Bernstein, Shai & Colonnelli, Emanuele & Malacrino, Davide & McQuade, Tim, 2022. "Who creates new firms when local opportunities arise?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 107-130.
    4. Olivier l'Haridon & Ferdinand M. Vieider, 2019. "All over the map: A worldwide comparison of risk preferences," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 10(1), pages 185-215, January.
    5. Pierre Azoulay & Benjamin F. Jones & J. Daniel Kim & Javier Miranda, 2020. "Age and High-Growth Entrepreneurship," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 2(1), pages 65-82, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Melanie Koch & Marco Langiulli, 2025. "Necessity entrepreneurship, financial literacy and business performance: evidence from an international survey," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 936, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    risk tolerance; entrepreneurs; profits; investments;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • M21 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics - - - Business Economics

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