The Need for Achievement (and Other Antecedents) as Drivers of Social Entrepreneurship

Lehner, O. M., & Germak, A. J. (2014). Antecedents of social entrepreneurship: between public service motivation and the need for achievement. International Journal of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 3(3), 214-229.

26 Pages Posted: 1 Mar 2014 Last revised: 28 Oct 2015

See all articles by Othmar Manfred Lehner

Othmar Manfred Lehner

Hanken School of Economics - Department of Accounting; University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria; Middlesex University of London

Andrew Germak

School of Social Work, Rutgers University

Date Written: September 1, 2013

Abstract

A survey designed by the authors was administered to Hub members worldwide (N=127, response rate=15.3%) in an effort to better understand the motivational bases of social entrepreneurs. Social entrepreneurship motivation is a topic that has recently begun to receive attention in the social entrepreneurship literature and one that has practical implications for the proliferation of social entrepreneurship practice. A specific focus in this study was the relationship between entrepreneurial traits (such as achievement motivation), social entrepreneurial identity, and the actual success of a social venture. The assumptions from field observations that Social Entrepreneurial Identification (SEII) and the actual successful start of a social venture (SUCC) are related were confirmed when controlling for gender, family, and cultural influences. Public Service Motivation (PSM), paired with a strong Locus of Control (LoC), Innovativeness (INN) and Tenacity (TE) were found to be the suggested qualities of social entrepreneurs. A need for personal achievement and personal recognition (N-ACH), as it has often been theorized in commercial entrepreneurship literature, was found to be unrelated to SEII and even negatively correlated to the success of social ventures. Still, several other entrepreneurial traits such as Bricolage, opportunity alertness, risk-taking propensity, or pro-activeness were identified as important predictors for social entrepreneurial success. However, managerial experience and a pro-entrepreneurial background culture were much more predictive than was SEII. This study provides an empirical foundation for future research in the area of social entrepreneurship motivation as well as practical implications for fostering social ventures.

Keywords: Social Entrepreneurship; Social Entrepreneur; Entrepreneurship Antecedents; N-ACH; public service motivation; locus of control; innovativeness; tenacity

JEL Classification: M13, M14

Suggested Citation

Lehner, Othmar Manfred and Germak, Andrew, The Need for Achievement (and Other Antecedents) as Drivers of Social Entrepreneurship (September 1, 2013). Lehner, O. M., & Germak, A. J. (2014). Antecedents of social entrepreneurship: between public service motivation and the need for achievement. International Journal of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 3(3), 214-229., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2402650

Othmar Manfred Lehner (Contact Author)

Hanken School of Economics - Department of Accounting ( email )

FI-00101 Helsinki
Finland

University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria ( email )

Wehrgrabengasse 1-3
Steyr, Upper Austria 4400
Austria

Middlesex University of London ( email )

The Burroughs
London, NW4 4BT
United Kingdom

Andrew Germak

School of Social Work, Rutgers University ( email )

Janice H. Levin Bldg., Room 121
94 Rockafeller Road
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8054
United States

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