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The Right Stuff? Personality and Entrepreneurship

Author

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  • Barton H. Hamilton
  • Nicholas W. Papageorge
  • Nidhi Pande

Abstract

We construct a structural model of entry into self-employment to evaluate the impact of policies supporting entrepreneurship. Previous work has recognized that workers may opt for self-employment due to the non-pecuniary benefits of running a business and not necessarily because they are good at it. Other literature has examined how socio-emotional skills, such as personality traits, affect selection into self-employment. We link these two lines of inquiry. The model we estimate captures three factors that affect selection into self-employment: credit constraints, relative earnings and preferences. We incorporate personality traits by allowing them to affect sector-specific earnings as well as preferences. The estimated model reveals that the personality traits that make entrepreneurship profitable are not always the same traits driving people to open a business. This has important consequences for entrepreneurship policies. For example, subsidies for small businesses do not attract talented-but-reluctant entrepreneurs, but instead attract individuals with personality traits associated with strong preferences for running a business and low-quality business ideas.

Suggested Citation

  • Barton H. Hamilton & Nicholas W. Papageorge & Nidhi Pande, 2018. "The Right Stuff? Personality and Entrepreneurship," NBER Working Papers 25006, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:25006
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    Cited by:

    1. Jisheng Yang & Di Ai, 2019. "Effect of the Big Five Personality Traits on Entrepreneurial Probability: Influence of China’s Household Registration System," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 487-503, December.
    2. Alina Sorgner & Michael Fritsch & Alexander Kritikos, 2017. "Do entrepreneurs really earn less?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 49(2), pages 251-272, August.
    3. Alderotti, Giammarco & Rapallini, Chiara & Traverso, Silvio, 2023. "The Big Five personality traits and earnings: A meta-analysis," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    4. Marco Caliendo & Alexander S. Kritikos & Daniel Rodríguez & Claudia Stier, 2023. "Self-efficacy and entrepreneurial performance of start-ups," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(3), pages 1027-1051, October.
    5. Maczulskij, Terhi & Viinikainen, Jutta, 2023. "Self-confidence predicts entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial success," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 19(C).
    6. Manchiraju, Srikant, 2020. "Psychometric evaluation of the Ryff’s Scale of psychological wellbeing in self-identified American entrepreneurs," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 14(C).
    7. Mikko Vaaramo & Leena Ala-Mursula & Jouko Miettunen & Marko Korhonen, 2023. "Economic preferences and temperament traits among business leaders and paid employees," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(3), pages 1197-1217, March.
    8. Ubfal, Diego & Arráiz, Irani & Beuermann, Diether W. & Frese, Michael & Maffioli, Alessandro & Verch, Daniel, 2022. "The impact of soft-skills training for entrepreneurs in Jamaica," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    9. Ouni, Selma & Boujelbene, Younes, 2023. "The mediating role of big five traits and self-efficacy on the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial behavior: Study of Tunisian university graduate employees," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    10. Kunwon Ahn & John V. Winters, 2023. "Does education enhance entrepreneurship?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(2), pages 717-743, August.
    11. Caliendo, Marco & Künn, Steffen & Weißenberger, Martin, 2016. "Personality traits and the evaluation of start-up subsidies," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 87-108.
    12. Kritikos, Alexander, 2022. "Personality and Entrepreneurship," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1137, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    13. Zakharov, Alexei & Bondarenko, Oxana, 2021. "Social status and social learning," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    14. Lafortune, Jeanne & Pugatch, Todd & Tessada, José & Ubfal, Diego, 2022. "Can interactive online training make high school students more entrepreneurial? Experimental evidence from Rwanda," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1041, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    15. Tran Thi Hong Lien & Tran Tu Anh & Truong Nhat Anh & Le Huu Tuan Anh & Ngo Thi Thien Thao, 2022. "Selfish personalities influencing start-up intention and motivation: a study of Vietnam," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-19, December.
    16. Andrés Hincapié, 2020. "Entrepreneurship Over The Life Cycle: Where Are The Young Entrepreneurs?," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 61(2), pages 617-681, May.
    17. Sajjad Nawaz Khan & Muhammad Mubushar & Ikram Ullah Khan & Hafiz Mudassir Rehman & Safeer Ullah Khan, 2021. "The influence of personality traits on sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial intentions: the moderating role of servant leadership," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(9), pages 13707-13730, September.
    18. Henry Sauermann, 2017. "Fire in the Belly? Employee Motives and Innovative Performance in Startups versus Established Firms," NBER Working Papers 23099, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Sorgner, Alina & Fritsch, Michael, 2018. "Entrepreneurial Career Paths: Occupational Environments and the Propensity to Become Self-Employed," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 234990, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J32 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Nonwage Labor Costs and Benefits; Retirement Plans; Private Pensions

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