Entrepreneurship is essential for international social and economic well-being, as new ventures are the dominant source of job creation, market innovation, and economic growth in many societies. In this book, a noted group of researchers use findings, methods, and theories of modern psychology as the basis for gaining important, new insights into entrepreneurship-and into the hearts and minds of the talented, passionate professionals who create new business ventures. The Psychology of Entrepreneurship, a volume in the SIOP Organizational Frontiers Series, is the first book written about the psychology of entrepreneurship, and includes over 60 research questions to guide industrial organizational psychology, organizational behavior, and entrepreneurship research about entrepreneurs. It seeks to answer questions such as, how and why do some people, but not others, recognize opportunities, decide to start new ventures, and organize successful, rapidly growing new ventures? Some topics addressed include: methods to help researchers explore the domain of entrepreneurship research; the entire process of starting a new business; characteristics of the individual entrepreneur; the history of entrepreneurship education; the cross-cultural effects of entrepreneurship; and the viewpoints of seasoned psychologists who analyze current entrepreneurship research methods. This book will appeal to teachers, students, and researchers in the areas of industrial organizational psychology, organizational behavior, entrepreneurship, and management.

Towards a Psychology of Entrepreneurship examines a theory of entrepreneurship, its empirical base and its implications. First, it argues that a psychological approach is necessary to understand entrepreneurship. Second, it argues that any theory of entrepreneurship should use active actions as a starting point - entrepreneurship is the epitome of an active agent in the market, rather than a reactive agent. Third, it discusses an action regulation theory to better understand the psychology of entrepreneurship. Fourth, it provides examples how this theory can help to understand entrepreneurial success. Finally, it suggests intervention programs to help entrepreneurs to be successful at growing their organizations. Towards a Psychology of Entrepreneurship presents a descriptive definition of the entrepreneur. It also emphasize that entrepreneurship does not necessarily imply the start-up and growth of business organizations but is a more general phenomenon of starting social organizations and changing organizations. Thus, it also includes social entrepreneurs in its definition of the entrepreneur - thus, founders of social service organizations are considered part of the entrepreneurship landscape.

The Psychology of Entrepreneurship: New Perspectives is an update of the earlier landmark volume in the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Organizational Frontiers Series. This new book takes stock of the advances in the field of the psychology of entrepreneurship with all new chapters and presents the latest findings on traditional topics, such as cognition, motivation, affect, personality, and action. The Psychology of Entrepreneurship: New Perspectives compiles research of the most prolific scholars in the field to produce an overview of the most important psychological topics relevant to entrepreneurship. It includes novel insights into topics such as entrepreneurial cognition, intrapreneurship and innovation, leadership, entrepreneurial competencies, action theory, entrepreneurship training, and the process of entrepreneurship. Additionally, the updated volume presents new topics that have become more and more important in entrepreneurship research. These topics include affect, clinical psychology and disorders, biological correlates of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial teams, culture, identity, starting capital, failure and exit, contextual factors, age and demographic change, evidence-based entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurs’ well-being. With a collection of authors comprising experts who have developed the field over the last decade, The Psychology of Entrepreneurship: New Perspectives is vital to all students, scholars, and instructors interested in staying abreast of the most current, novel research and insights into the psychology of entrepreneurship.

Volume I: "Spanning the years from 1967 to 1997 the papers contained in this volume show how Cummings urged psychologists to prepare for profound changes in the mental health care delivery system. Cummings has already written extensively on the importance -- and the logistics -- of positioning mental health care as a linchpin in the provision of health care in general. The author has also provided updates on his most original and significant works, and in doing so points the way to possible future directions."--

This book connects entrepreneurship and psychology research by focusing on the personality dimensions of entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial cognition, entrepreneurial leadership, and gender behavior. It features state of the art interdisciplinary research offering a unified perspective on entrepreneurial psychology. Individual chapters address advances related to entrepreneurial intentions, complexity management, personality psychology, intrapreneurial behavior, entrepreneurial communities and demographic changes, among others. Laboratory experiments that study entrepreneurial behavior round out the coverage.

This open access book investigates the inter-relationship between the mind and a potential opportunity to explore the psychology of entrepreneurship. Building on recent research, this book offers a broad scope investigation of the different aspects of what goes on in the mind of the (potential) entrepreneur as he or she considers the pursuit of a potential opportunity, the creation of a new organization, and/or the selection of an entrepreneurial career. This book focuses on individuals as the level of analysis and explores the impact of the organization and the environment only inasmuch as they impact the individual’s cognitions. Readers will learn why some individuals and managers are able to able to identify and successfully act upon opportunities in uncertain environments while others are not. This book applies a cognitive lens to understand individuals’ knowledge, motivation, attention, identity, and emotions in the entrepreneurial process.

Can psychological factors effectively predict entrepreneurial performance? Drawing upon studies of over 700 entrepreneurial subjects in 10 different samples, Miner settles the issue: yes, they can. He identifies four kinds of people who are capable of achieving entrepreneurial success—but notes that to actually achieve success, they must follow a career route that fits their personalities. Miner's new book is thus a detailed scholarly report on an extensive 20-year research program that focuses on psychological predictors of entrepreneurial activity and success, and a carefully devised, solidly grounded theory to explain why his observations are true. He also discusses the implications for personal career development, entrepreneur selection, entrepreneurship development programs, the assessment of entrepreneurial talent, and related topics crucial not only to entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs themselves, but to their various stakeholders including those with investments in them. Part I of the book reviews the typologies used in the entrepreneurship literature and the various opinions on the value of psychological factors in predicting entrepreneurial success. It then sets forth the four-way psychological typology underpinning Miner's research and the various theoretical extensions of that typology. This section of the book closes with a chapter presenting case examples of the various types, and the ways they can achieve or fail to achieve success. Part II deals with measurement and design considerations, and with the two primary research tests of the theory—a seven-year predictive study of established entrepreneurs and a six-year predictive study of graduate business students enrolled in entrepreneurship classes. Part III reports on three studies dealing with women entrepreneurs, in contrast to men. It also describes an extensive, six-year predictive study of high-technology entrepreneurs and international research dealing with entrepreneurs in Italy, Israel, Sweden, and post-communist Poland. Part IV considers ways the typology may be used to create entrepreneurship development programs and describes a comprehensive regional development effort extending over seven years. Particular attention is given to methods of assessing entrepreneurial talent, in existing as well as in prospective entrepreneurs, not only to help select them, but also to aid in the investment decision. The book closes with predictions for the future for entrepreneurial practice and for entrepreneurship theory and research.