Entrepreneurial Actions and ‘Darker’ Motives.
Research Paper Title:
“Fatal attraction: A systematic review and research agenda of the dark triad in entrepreneur”
Authors:
Katrina Brownell (Indiana University, Kelley School of Business)
Jeffery S. McMullen (Indiana University, Kelley School of Business)
Ernest O’Boyle (Indiana University, Kelley School of Business)
Background:
The popular belief was that entrepreneurship is a reaction to power; driven by a need for autonomy, a desire to exert control over the professional environment and to emancipate themselves from their circumstances. The authors propose that entrepreneurial action may be just as likely to find its roots in a ‘darker’, more complex power-based motive. Instead of seeking freedom from the power that others may exercise over them, some individuals may pursue entrepreneurial action because they believe it will give them power over others. The authors find that individuals high in the Dark Triad traits – Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy – are consistently attracted to entrepreneurship. Findings suggest that the qualities of poise, tenacity, charisma, confidence, and a propensity for embracing risk, which are encouraged by individuals high in the Dark Triad traits, appear to play an important role in whether individuals are attracted to entrepreneurship or successful in its execution.
Methodology:
Sample: Exploratory meta-analysis and Literature search
Sample Size: 35 usable studies reporting 39 independent samples with a total sample size of 11,819 individuals
Analytical Approach: Bivariate analysis followed by meta-regression
Results:
Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy were positively related to entrepreneurial intention. The corrected effect sizes for each relation are 0.16, 0.24, and 0.17, respectively. Machiavellianism and psychopathy were negatively related to entrepreneurial performance (rc = -0.22 and rc = -0.10, respectively), and narcissism was positively related to entrepreneurial performance (rc = 0.09).
Conclusion:
Authors explore the relations between the Dark Triad personality traits and entrepreneurial intention and performance. By interpreting the findings through Nietzsche’s will to power philosophy, the authors present a thorough explanation of how and why these personality traits relate to the initiation and performance of entrepreneurship. In doing so, they explore the presence of power and control in entrepreneurship and take the first step towards understanding how these darker motives may be systematically channeled away from their harmful tendencies and towards more positive outcomes.