Attachment orientations and entrepreneurship

Abstract

This research presents a theoretical model and examines it empirically to associate attachment orientations with various types of entrepreneurs. The results show clear evidence that attachment orientations not only predict an adult’s tendency to become an entrepreneur but also the type of entrepreneur he will become. Specifically, the results show that attachment anxiety is the dimension that is the most responsible for the variability of becoming an entrepreneur, while anxiety and avoidant dimensions predict his characteristics and attitudes as an entrepreneur. This paper makes five important contributions to the research of both attachment theory and entrepreneurship. First, it adds to the theoretical understanding of the psychology of entrepreneurs. Second, the attachment theory enables us to extend our understanding beyond the predictions of personality traits regarding entrepreneurial intentions in order to further predict the type of entrepreneur he will turn out to be. Third, it stresses the role of early childhood events regarding the prediction of future entrepreneurial orientation. Fourth, it uses a unique data set of real young entrepreneurs in a single industry homogenous design in Israel, which is known worldwide as a startup nation. Fifth, it focuses on the opportunity validation stage (rather than the opportunity identification of the resource allocation stages), which is often neglected in entrepreneur personality research.

Appendices

Appendix 1 – Questions in the Entrepreneurship Survey – Study 1

• 1. Different dimensions of entrepreneurship style – what do low and high scores imply?

  • 1.1 Low (1) – necessity entrepreneur / High (8) – opportunity entrepreneur

  • 1.2 Low (1) – life-style entrepreneur / High (8) – serial or portfolio entrepreneur

  • 1.3 Low (1) – serial entrepreneur / High (8) – portfolio entrepreneur

  • 1.4 Low (1) – high persistence / High (8) – low persistence

  • 1.5 Low (1) – leave a venture after a while / High (8) – life-style entrepreneur

  • 1.6 Low (1) – leave to a new venture / High (8) – leave to a salaried employment

  • 1.7 Low (1) – sole entrepreneur / High (8) – team entrepreneur

  • 1.8 Low (1) – team with friends / High (8) – team with strangers

  • 1.9 Low (1) – Innovative venture / High (8) - operational venture

• 2. Type of entrepreneur (only one of the following can be 1)

  • 2.1 Visionary entrepreneur: 0 – No / 1 – Yes

  • 2.2 Managerial/operational entrepreneur: 0 – No / 1 – Yes

  • 2.3 Innovative entrepreneur: 0 – No / 1 – Yes

  • 2.4 Super marketing entrepreneur: 0 – No / 1 – Yes

• 3. The main motivation to become an entrepreneur (1 to 5 scale)

  • 3.1 Financial return: 1 – Disagree Strongly / 5 – Agree Strongly.

  • 3.2 Self-fulfillment and Need for Achievement: 1 – Disagree Strongly / 5 – Agree Strongly.

  • 3.3 Desire for independence: 1 – Disagree Strongly / 5 – Agree Strongly.

  • 3.4 Desire for social recognition: 1 – Disagree Strongly / 5 – Agree Strongly.

  • 3.5 Desire for Authority / Responsibility / Power: 1 – Disagree Strongly / 5 – Agree Strongly.

  • 3.6 Need for new challenges / Escape from boredom: 1 – Disagree Strongly / 5 – Agree Strongly.

  • 3.7 Desire to change the market/bring in new innovation: 1 – Disagree Strongly / 5 – Agree Strongly.

  • 3.8 Desire to change society/the world: 1 – Disagree Strongly / 5 – Agree Strongly

• 4. After how many failures will you definitely stop entrepreneurial attempts?

• 5. Are you a part-time entrepreneur (work parallel as a salaried employee)?

• 6. How many years of experience you have in the employment market?

• 7. How many work position did you have in your carrier?

• 8. What is your gender?

• 9. Are you married?

• 10. Do you have children?

Appendix 2 – Questions in the Entrepreneurship Survey – Study 2

What do low and high scores imply? 1 – Disagree Strongly / 7 – Agree Strongly

• 1.1 External trigger to becoming an entrepreneur

• 1.2 Internal trigger to becoming an entrepreneur

• 1.3 Entrepreneurship is a onetime experience for me

• 1.4 Entrepreneurship is a way of life for me

• 1.5 If my venture will fail I will prefer to start a new venture

• 1.6 If my venture will fail I will prefer to become a salary employee

• 1.7 If my venture will succeeded (via an M&A) I will prefer to start a new venture

• 1.8 If my venture will succeeded (via an M&A) I will prefer to become a salary employee

• 1.9 I prefer to establish a venture as a sole entrepreneur

• 1.10 I prefer to establish a venture with a partner

• 1.11 If I will establish a venture with a partner, I prefer to do it with a partner I did not know before

• 1.12 If I will establish a venture with a partner, I prefer to do it with a friend

Appendix 3 – ECR Survey - Experiences in Close Relationships (both studies)

Instructions: The following statements concern how you feel in close relationships with others. The term “other people” relates to other people who have close relationships with you. We are interested in how you generally experience relationships, not just in what is happening in current relationships. Respond to each statement by using the following rating scale:

	Disagree strongly		Neutral			Agree strongly
1. I prefer not to show other people how I feel deep down	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
2. I worry about being abandoned	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
3. I am very comfortable being close to other people	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
4. I worry a lot about my relationships	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
5. Just when other people starts to get close to me I find myself pulling away	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
6. I worry that other people won’t care about me as much as I care about them	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
7. I get uncomfortable when a other people wants to be very close	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8. I worry a fair amount about losing other people who are close to me	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
9. I don’t feel comfortable opening up to other people	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
10. I often wish that other people’s feelings for me were as strong as my feelings for them	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
11. I want to get close to other people, but I keep pulling back	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
12. I often want to merge completely with other people, and this sometimes scares them away	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
13. I am nervous when other people get too close to me	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
14. I worry about being alone	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
15. I feel comfortable sharing my private thoughts and feelings with other people	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
16. My desire to be very close sometimes scares people away	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
17. I try to avoid getting too close to other people	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
18. I need a lot of reassurance that I am loved by other people	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
19. I find it relatively easy to get close to other people	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
20. Sometimes, I feel that I force my partners to show more feeling, more commitment	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
21. I find it difficult to allow myself to depend on other people	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
22. I do not often worry about being abandoned	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
23. I prefer not be too close to other people	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
24. If I can’t get other people to show interest in me, I get upset or angry	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
25. I tell other people just about everything	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
26. I find that my other people don’t want to get as close as I would like	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
27. I usually discuss my problems and concerns with other people	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
28. When am not involved in a relationship, I feel somewhat anxious and insecure	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
29. I feel comfortable depending other people	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
30. I get frustrated when other people disapprove of me; I feel really bad about myself	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
31. I don’t mind asking other people for comfort, advice or help	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
32. I get frustrated if other people are not available when I need them	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
33. It helps to turn to my other people in times of need.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
34. When other people disapprove of me, I feel really bad about myself	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
35. I turn to other people for many things, including comfort and reassurance	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
36. I resent it when other people spend time away from me	1	2	3	4	5	6	7