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Understanding and motivating students’ feedback seeking behavior is essential for the success of lean startup based entrepreneurship programs. Therefore, in this study, we investigated how cost- value perceptions and student social capital influence feedback seeking behavior and entrepre- neurial self-efficacy as the outcome. Longitudinal data were collected from 289 Dutch students who completed a questionnaire at the beginning, middle, and end of an experiential entrepre- neurship program that employed the lean startup method. Results showed that students who valued the feedback and perceived supportive student-student relationships sought feedback more frequently, which subsequently, increased entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Neither perceived costs of feedback seeking, such as the risk of feeling embarrassed and investment of time and energy, nor supportive teacher-student relationships related to feedback seeking frequency. We expected that students’ relationships with teachers and peers would moderate the relationship between perceived feedback seeking cost and feedback seeking frequency. Results confirmed that cost of feedback seeking only negatively related to feedback seeking frequency when students perceived poor student-student relationships. The findings contribute to a better understanding of student feedback seeking and effective lean startup based experiential programs.

Several large organizations underwent agile transformation processes over the past few years, despite limited theory and empirical research on agile working. The present study draws from the taskwork–teamwork distinction and the proactivity literature to develop a new multilevel model of agile working. We tested this model in a sample of 114 teams ( N = 476 individuals) undergoing an agile transformation at a large German transport and logistics organization. Teams at the end of the agile transformation scored significantly higher on agile work practices, proactivity norms, and team performance than teams at the beginning of the transformation. Results of multigroup structural equation modeling indicated that agile taskwork related indirectly to team performance through a positive relationship with proactivity norms. The positive relationship of agile teamwork with team performance was not mediated by proactivity norms, unlike hypothesized. Finally, we found that agile taskwork increased the likelihood that individual employees benefited from engaging in proactive behavior (specifically, employee intrapreneurship) in terms of in-role performance (i.e., cross-level interaction). This was presumably because of the favorable proactivity norms of teams practicing agile taskwork (i.e., mediated moderation). We discuss the implications of our findings for the literature on proactive behavior in teams.

PurposeThis paper seeks to identify how intrapreneurial self-efficacy (ISE) grows in a group of graduate students during their internship. We investigate which agency and structure factors shape their experience and stabilize or help grow their ISE and how this evolves in the course of their internship.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted group interviews with 49 last year master students of a large Belgian university during their seven-month internship. We focused on those interns with low starter ISE to better understand which factors aid or hinder ISE development.FindingsOur results show that students who did not experience ISE growth were less aware of their own agency factors, lacked supportive colleagues and experienced a misfit with their supervisors. Students who did grow their ISE did so mostly because of an initial experimentation phase, which was structured by their supervisor. This created a positive spiral where they started feeling increasingly better and able to act intrapreneurially.Originality/valueWith this study, we contribute to the extant literature in two main ways. First, we use a graduate employability lens to study the genesis of ISE. As such, we are amongst the first to investigate how education can nurture intrapreneurship and which agency and structure factors are particularly important for this. Second, we take a qualitative process approach, rather than a static and quantitative focus of most entrepreneurial education studies. As such, we gain better knowledge to the drivers of ISE at students first steps and during their internship.

This study investigated the impact of entrepreneurship course characteristics on students' entrepreneurial intentions through fostering entrepreneurial self-efficacy and study engagement. Furthermore, the moderating role of student needs differences was examined. Data were collected among 302 Chinese undergraduates who enrolled in an entrepreneurship course. Students filled in a questionnaire before and after the course. Results of structural equation modeling revealed that a challenging learning environment positively related to entrepreneurial self-efficacy and study engagement, which in turn related to entrepreneurial intentions. Teacher-student relationships only related to study engagement. In addition, a challenging learning environment related stronger to enhanced study engagement for the high need for achievement students, and teacher-student relationships significantly and positively related to entrepreneurial self-efficacy only among students with a high need for affiliation. The findings can be used to improve entrepreneurship education. Theoretical and practical implications will be discussed.

Creativity is a commonly assumed characteristic of entrepreneurs. It is proposed to be a necessary, although not sufficient, prerequisite for entrepreneurship. This study aimed to deepen our understanding of the relationship between self-perceived creativity and entrepreneurial intentions. To do so, we conducted a cross-sectional survey study among 559 university students. We tested an expanded model based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), which included self-perceived creativity as a distal antecedent of entrepreneurial intentions. In addition, we examined both the role of perceived family and university support for creativity, as well as taking a creativity course, in boosting self-perceived creativity. While some empirical evidence has indicated a direct link between (perceived) creativity and entrepreneurial intentions, the TPB posits that three antecedents (attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control/self-efficacy) would be the only direct determinants of intentions. All other factors are theorized to indirectly influence intentions through one or more of these components. The results of partial least squares structural modelling refuted this assumption. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy and positive attitudes did indeed mediate the self-perceived creativity – entrepreneurial intentions link, but self-perceived creativity explained additional variance in entrepreneurial intentions, beyond these TPB components. In addition, our results showed that family and university support for creativity, as well as taking a creativity course, were significant predictors of self-perceived creativity. Postgraduate students, and particularly male students, perceived greater university and family support and reported greater self-perceived creativity than did undergraduate students. We conclude that teaching creativity contents and practice are a useful way to enrich entrepreneurship programmes.

Although employees are recognized to be key for organizational new venture creation and strategic renewal (i.e., intrapreneurship), the current literature on intrapreneurship from an individual-level perspective is fragmented, and a valid measurement instrument is lacking. We address this gap and start with presenting a review of the current literature on employee intrapreneurship. Based on this review we define employee intrapreneurship as an agentic and strategic work behavior aimed at new venture creation and strategic renewal. Next, two studies are presented aimed at developing and validating a measurement instrument that captures employee venture behavior and strategic renewal behavior as two facets of employee intrapreneurship: the Employee Intrapreneurship Scale (EIS). In Study 1, the EIS was created and its factorial validity examined in three departments of a public organization (total N = 1,475). In Study 2, using a sample of private sector employees (N = 243), the convergent and discriminant validity of the EIS was tested using self-ratings of personal initiative, reward sensitivity, and punishment sensitivity, as well as their innovativeness and risk-taking behavior as rated by a close colleague. The results indicate that the Employee Intrapreneurship Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for capturing employee intrapreneurship in multiple contexts. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

PurposeThe aim is to expand the challenge-hindrance framework and develop a coherent theoretical framework that explains individual differences in the way small business owners appraise their job demands. Literature has shown that dealing effectively with job demands leads to competitive advantage and depends on individual appraisals.Design/methodology/approachFor this qualitative study, 20 in-depth interviews were analyzed using a partially grounded theory approach.FindingsOpen and axial coding revealed a broader range of demands than have hitherto been studied, related to actions rather than job characteristics. Selective coding confirmed expectations based on the Conservation of Resources Theory that appraisals of demands differ between business owners and change over time depending on role identities, and material, social, personal and energy resource levels, via the valence (identities) and degree of anticipated outcomes. Business owners appraised certain demands as challenging when they were co-occurring with other demands usually categorized as challenges, whereas these same demands were appraised as hindering when co-occurring with demands usually categorized as hindrances.Research limitations/implicationsThe results imply that appraisals can be influenced by societal context, life events, processes of formal and informal learning, personal growth and aging. These topics would be interesting avenues for future research.Originality/valueThe results of this study challenge our understanding of job demands in general and current categorizations of job demands as challenges versus hindrances in specific, by providing an in-depth, contextualized and dynamic view of the appraisal of demands related to owning and running a business.

Firm performance is typically measured via objective financial indicators. However, researchers increasingly acknowledge that entrepreneurs do not measure their success solely in financial terms but that a range of often subjective indicators matter to them. This article contributes to the debate on entrepreneurial performance by studying how entrepreneurs assess their achieved success. ‘Entrepreneurs’ achieved success’ was conceptualized as a multi-faceted construct that includes entrepreneurs’ self-reported achievement of firm performance, workplace relationships, personal fulfilment, community impact, and personal financial rewards. It was measured via the Subjective Entrepreneurial Success–Achievement Scale (SES-AS). Over the course of three studies (N = 390) the factorial structure of ‘entrepreneurs’ achieved success’ was established and largely replicated in two cultures. Based on a nomological network, we documented relationships among ‘entrepreneurs’ achieved success’, quasi-objective indicators of firm performance, and entrepreneurs’ financial satisfaction, creativity, and health. Based on our research, we propose a new conceptual framework to study performance in the context of entrepreneurship. This framework acknowledges both the success criteria that entrepreneurs wish to achieve and those that they actually achieve, and extends our understanding of firm performance.

This one-year follow-up study among 1,421 male nurses from seven European countries tested the validity of the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) model in predicting prospective vital exhaustion and work-home interference. We hypothesised that effort and lack of reward would have both main and interactive effects on future outcomes. Results of structural equation modelling (SEM) showed that effort was positively related to exhaustion and work-home interference, both simultaneously and over time. Lack of reward predicted increased exhaustion at follow-up, but effort-reward imbalance did not influence the outcomes. Additionally, Time 1 exhaustion predicted increased work-home interference and exhaustion at follow-up. These results do not support the ERI model, which postulates a primacy of effort-reward imbalance over main effects. Instead, the findings are in line with dual path models of job stress and work-home interference. Multi-group SEM showed partial cross-cultural metric invariance for the ERI measure of effort, but the ERI measure of rewards showed no metric measurement invariance, indicating its meaning is qualitatively different across cultures. Nevertheless, the main conclusions were markedly similar for each national sub-sample. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our study.

Ample studies have confirmed the benefits of intrapreneurship (i.e., employee behaviors that contribute to new venture creation and strategic renewal activities) for firm performance, but research on the personal costs and benefits of engaging in intrapreneurial activities for employees is lacking. Building on job demands-resources and reinforcement sensitivity theories, we examined how employees' reinforcement sensitivity qualified the relationship among their intrapreneurial behavior, subjective well-being, and other-rated job performance. Using a sample of 241 employee dyads, the results of moderated mediation analyses confirmed that employee intrapreneurship related positively to work engagement for employees high (vs. low) in sensitivity to rewards (behavioral approach system), which subsequently related positively to innovativeness and in-role performance and negatively to work avoidance. In contrast, employee intrapreneurship related positively to exhaustion for employees high (vs. low) in sensitivity to punishments (behavioral inhibition system), which subsequently related positively to work avoidance and negatively to in-role performance (but not to innovativeness). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

The job-related affective well-being measure developed by Warr (1990, J. Occup. Psychol., 63, 193) has been a frequently used tool estimating affect in the work context. The main purpose of this study was to test the measurement invariance of the instrument across cultures and genders. The model with four correlated factors, representing anxiety, comfort, depression, and enthusiasm, had a superior fit compared to alternative models in a sample of 807 employees and was used as the basis of measurement invariance tests. The results of multigroup confirmatory factor analysis showed partial metric invariance across samples of employees from the Netherlands (n = 254), Poland (n = 436), and Spain (n = 207), as well as full scalar invariance across genders (female n = 323; male n = 466). This indicates that cross-cultural comparisons of relationships between job-related affect as measured with this instrument and other constructs can be meaningful. Additionally, mean scores on the scales of the instrument can be meaningfully compared across genders, but not across countries. Practitioner points Warr's job-related affective well-being measure is a valid and reliable operationalization of four correlated affective dimensions: anxiety, comfort, depression, and enthusiasm. Mean scores on these dimensions can be meaningfully compared across genders, but comparisons of mean scores between countries should be interpreted with caution.

Integrating predictions from the theory of human values with the theory of planned behavior (TPB), our primary goal is to investigate mechanisms through which individual values are related to entrepreneurial career intentions using a sample of 823 students from four European countries. We find that openness and self-enhancement values relate positively to entrepreneurial career intentions and that these relationships are partly mediated by attitudes toward entrepreneurship, self-efficacy, and, to a lesser extent, by social norms. Values and TPB constructs partially mediated cross-country differences in entrepreneurial intentions. Spanish students showed lower entrepreneurial intentions as compared to Dutch, German, and Polish students, which could be traced back to lower self-enhancement values (power and achievement), less positive attitudes toward entrepreneurship, and differences in social norms. ispartof: JOURNAL OF CAREER ASSESSMENT vol:26 issue:3 pages:457-475 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Facilitated by communication technology (i.e., smartphones), many employees adopt a work-family integration strategy to cope with work and home demands simultaneously. Taking boundary theory as a starting point, this quantitative diary study examines the potential impact of private smartphone use at work—i.e., boundary-crossing behavior—on employee well-being. We hypothesized that private smartphone use would be positively associated with the subjective experience of being interrupted, especially when smartphone use was appraised negatively (vs. positively). Additionally, we predicted that these interruptions by private smartphone use would be positively related to end-of-day exhaustion, and that this relationship would be stronger for employees who value work over family (high vs. low work centrality). The hypotheses were tested using a sample of 67 employees from various occupations who completed a short daily questionnaire for four successive workdays (N = 237 data points). The results of multilevel analyses generally supported the hypotheses. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed.

This article provides a narrative review of psychology of entrepreneurship research published in leading psychology journals, based on which we develop an organising framework for future psychological contributions to this field. Furthermore, we introduce the manuscripts collected in this special issue. Our review identified five research areas, broadly corresponding with basic psychological domains, namely personal differences; careers; health and well-being; cognition and behaviour; and leadership; as well as three cross-cutting themes: gender issues; genetic and biological foundations; and context. With the aim to stimulate integration across different approaches and disciplines, we propose a framework to understand how psychologists can offer innovative contributions to the multi-disciplinary entrepreneurship literature. This includes a focus on the entrepreneur embedded in and in interaction with his or her immediate and wider context; attention to different types of entrepreneurs; and a focus on dynamic within-person processes evolving over time.

This cross-sectional study among 277 Dutch entrepreneurs investigates how entrepreneurs’ job demands relate to their work-related strain and work engagement, as well as their feelings of subjective success. As such it contributes to the literature firstly by focusing on psychological rather than business outcomes of entrepreneurship, and secondly by contextualizing demands and resources for entrepreneurs, e.g. capturing the general but also the specific factors that are demands and resources in entrepreneurial work. Results of the study show that work-related strain is related to both less personal and less financial subjective business success. Work engagement is related to higher personal, but not financial subjective business success. As predicted by the JD-R Model, both high job demands and low job resources predicted work-related strain. In contrast to findings of other studies, high job demands are not related to low work engagement, only having low job resources did. The practical implication of these findings is that entrepreneurs can achieve an important competitive advantage over other entrepreneurs if they can learn to deal effectively with job demands and work-related strain. The challenge for policy makers is to get more information about how to assist business owners in eliminating and preventing work-related strain in order to achieve higher subjective financial and personal success.Keywords: entrepreneurship, Business success, Job demands, Job resources, Work-related strain, Work engagement

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between sales managers’ authentic leadership style and salespeople’s positive development. Design/methodology/approach Multilevel regression analysis was used to examine the data from 40 work teams from several Spanish retail companies (190 salespeople and 40 sales managers). Findings In line with previous studies, the analyses indicated that sales managers’ authentic leadership style as perceived by employees significantly predicted salespeople’s work engagement and psychological capital (PsyCap). Contrary to the expectations, salespeople’s perceptions of sales managers’ authentic leadership did not relate to sales managers’ self-ratings of authentic leadership, but instead related to sales managers’ gender (women were perceived as more authentic) and higher perceived frequency of leader–follower interaction. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature by testing if sales managers’ variables (gender and self-ratings of authentic leadership and perceived frequency of leader–follower interaction) predict salespeople’s perceptions of authentic leadership, which in turn, predict salespeople’s positive development (work engagement and PsyCap).

Contains fulltext : 156511.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) Leren op de werkplek kan de duurzame inzetbaarheid van werknemers bevorderen mits er sprake is van maatwerk. Een recent onderzoek door Van der Heijden en collega’s (2015) focuste op de kansen die leren op de werkplek biedt om duurzame inzetbaarheid te realiseren. Duidelijk is: baan én baas moeten de werknemer uitdagen! 05 april 2016

Although ample evidence has shown that intrapreneurial activities of an employee (i.e. employee intrapreneurship) positively impact organizational outcomes, research on how these activities affect employee outcomes is scarce. Based on Job Demands-Resources theory, we hypothesized that employee intrapreneurship builds personal resources over time, which in turn, fosters work engagement. We conducted a two-wave study with a three-month time interval among a sample of public servants ( N = 351). Results of a latent change score analysis showed that employee intrapreneurship predicted a positive change in employees' personal resources over time, and personal resources predicted higher and more stable experiences of work engagement during the study period. Moreover, we found evidence for a positive gain cycle of employee intrapreneurial behavior, personal resources, and work engagement. The practical implication of our findings is that intervening to increase either one of these constructs can be expected to lead to mutual gains in the others.

This qualitative study among 591 business students from four European countries investigated cross-country differences in the kind of barriers people perceive to business start-up. In line with institutional theory, the most important perceived barriers in all countries related to regulative structures (lack of money) and cognitive conditions (lack of skills). Normative structures, defined as national culture, did not explain cross-country differences in perceived risk as start-up barrier. In Norway and The Netherlands, students reported risk perceptions more often than in Romania and Russia, whereas the latter countries are known to be more uncertainty avoidant. These results aid in developing a theory of entrepreneurial barriers, which could be used to extend current entrepreneurial intentions theories in order to predict actual start-up behaviour better. Concerning practical implications, results indicate that business start-up can be stimulated through improving regulative and cognitive institutional structures, but national differences need to be taken into account.

This article conceptualizes and operationalizes ‘subjective entrepreneurial success’ in a manner which reflects the criteria employed by entrepreneurs, rather than those imposed by researchers. We used two studies to explore this notion; the first qualitative enquiry investigated success definitions using interviews with 185 German entrepreneurs; five factors emerged from their reports: firm performance, workplace relationships, personal fulfilment, community impact and personal financial rewards. The second study developed a questionnaire, the Subjective Entrepreneurial Success–Importance Scale (SES-IS), to measure these five factors using a sample of 184 entrepreneurs. We provide evidence for the validity of the SES-IS, including establishing systematic relationships of SES-IS with objective indicators of firm success, annual income and entrepreneur satisfaction with life and financial situation. We also provide evidence for the cross-cultural invariance of SES-IS using a sample of Polish entrepreneurs. The contribution of our research being that subjective entrepreneurial success is a multi-factorial construct, that is, entrepreneurs value various indicators of success with monetary returns as only one possible option.

Deze validatiestudie onder 291 Nederlandse werknemers bevestigt de bruikbaarheid van de Nederlandse vertaling van de Work Design Questionnaire (WDQ-NL) als onderzoeksinstrument voor de functie(her)ontwerpcontext. Resultaten van confirmatieve factoranalyses lieten zien dat de voorgestelde factorstructuur, bestaande uit 21 subschalen en vier tweede-ordefactoren, acceptabel was. De subschalen hadden een hoge betrouwbaarheid. De werkkenmerken onderscheidden verschillende typen beroepen op een zinvolle manier, en werknemers in hetzelfde bedrijf met hetzelfde beroep stemden in sterke mate overeen in hun evaluatie van de werkkenmerken gemeten met de WDQ-NL. Zoals voorspeld, hingen taak- en kenniskarakteristieken gemiddeld tot sterk positief samen met motivationele criteria (bevlogenheid, tevredenheid en leermogelijkheden), en negatief met verloopintenties, maar kenniskarakteristieken hingen daarnaast ook nog samen met meer spanningsklachten. Sociale steun relateerde, zoals verwacht, positief met motivationele criteria en negatief met spanningsklachten en verloopintenties. Sociale afhankelijkheid daarentegen relateerde positief aan meer spanningsklachten.

This study of 150 Dutch small business owners, identified through business/ network directories, investigated relationships between owners’ understanding of success and their personal values. Business owners ranked 10 success criteria. Per- sonal satisfaction, profitability, and satisfied stakeholders ranked highest. Multidi- mensional scaling techniques revealed two dimensions underlying the rank order of success criteria: person-oriented (personal satisfaction versus business growth) and business-oriented (profitability versus contributing back to society). Furthermore, business growth, profitability, and innovativeness were guided by self-enhancing value orientations (power and achievement). Softer success criteria, such as having satisfied stakeholders and a good work–life balance, were guided by self-transcendent value orientations (benevolence and universalism).

This article introduces JOOP’s special section on expanding the boundaries of resource theories in occupational and organizational psychology. After an introduction of the most relevant resource theories and their current application in occupational and organizational psychology – key resource theories, conservation of resources theory, resource theory of social exchange, and selective optimization with compensation theory – the opportunities and challenges for future research are outlined, as well as the innovative trends emerging from the contributions in this special section.

This two-wave longitudinal study among 121 entrepreneurs in The Netherlands investigated bi-directional relationships between entrepreneurs’ well-being and performance. Results of Smart PLS analyses showed positive well-being at Time 1 (work engagement; life satisfaction; and job satisfaction) predicted subjective entrepreneurial success 2 years later, both as indicated by entrepreneurs’ reports of achieved financial success (including personal income security and wealth, business turn-over, sales and profit growth), as well as perceptions of achieved personal success (personal fulfilment, community impact and employee relations). No relations were found with objective indicators of business performance (profit; turnover; and number of employees) over time. The expected recursive relationship between performance and well-being was only found in the short term; a better objective financial situation immediately preceding the second measurement moment, predicted better well-being at T2. These results are both in line with a well-being–performance (gain) cycle, and the happiness set-point thesis that predicts resilience in the face of events. This paper contributes to the literature by emphasizing the importance of entrepreneurs’ well-being as a key factor in long-term subjective financial and personal entrepreneurial success. The practical implication is that entrepreneurs should maintain and improve their own well-being to achieve positive long term business outcomes.Keywords: Entrepreneurial success, performance, Work engagement, Job satisfaction, General life satisfaction, Well-being, Entrepreneurship, Small business

Prior research has identified individual characteristics that distinguish business owners from non-business owners. The researchers tested their contention that not every successful business owner can be characterized by such typical ‘entrepreneurial’ characteristics. Multiple analysis of variance on a unique data set of 194 business owners in the hospitality industry revealed that several individual characteristics discriminated between entrepreneurs and small business owners. Entrepreneurs possessed higher levels of independence, tolerance of ambiguity, risk-taking propensity, innovativeness, and leadership qualities, but not of market orientation and self-efficacy. It is concluded that ‘entrepreneurial’ characteristics identified in the literature may be useful predicting a specific type of business ownership. However, other criteria need to be developed in order to describe other groups of business owners operating in the service industries.

Building on conservation of resources theory and the dynamic equilibrium model, this three-wave longitudinal study among 260 Dutch agricultural business owners (1-year time intervals) investigated reciprocal relationships between the financial situation of the business and psychological distress. Results of structural equation modelling analyses revealed a negative spiral of farm decline, in which psychological variables played a key role. Experiencing financial problems predicted psychological distress, and acted as a self-fulfilling prophecy by strengthening intentions to quit the business, which predicted a deterioration of the objective financial situation of the business 1 year later. Moreover, farmers experiencing more psychological distress were more likely to get caught in this negative spiral than business owners with better mental health, because they experienced more financial problems, irrespective of their objective financial situation. Long-term psychological distress rather than temporary fluctuations in distress levels accounted for this effect. © 2010 The British Psychological Society. ispartof: Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology vol:83 issue:2 pages:513-530 status: published

According to the World Disaster Report (Walter, 2004), drought and famine have proven to be the deadliest disasters of the decade worldwide, accounting for at least 275,000 deaths since 1994. This was nearly half the total for all natural disasters. The agricultural sector has been found to experience the largest variety of economic impacts (Wilhite and Glantz, 1985). Little is currently known regarding farmers’ psychological responses and adaptation to drought. This exploratory study in southwest Iran assessed the perceptions and coping strategies of 360 randomly selected farmers from regions with different drought intensities in Fars province. Results indicate that farmers from all regions experience mainly threats to their resources rather than resource loss as a consequence of drought. Resource loss related to more emotion-focused coping, whereas when farmers perceived threats they were inclined to use less emotion-focused coping. No relationships were found between perceptions and problem or...

Employees' proactive strategic behaviors are increasingly being emphasized as key to business innovation, performance and survival. Although there has been considerable growth in attention for gene...

This article contributes to the critical debate on firm performance by conceptually and empirically implementing the separate constructs approach to study ‘entrepreneurs’ subjective assessment of s...

Purpose – Building on the dualistic approach to passion, the aim of this paper was to examine how work engagement and workaholism relate to entrepreneurs' performance (innovative behavior, business growth, and subjective business performance). Design/methodology/approach – Cross-sectional survey data of 180 Spanish entrepreneurs were analyzed using partial least squares modeling. Findings – Evidence was found for a dual affective pathway to performance. Work engagement related favorably to performance through its relationship with more positive affect and less negative affect. Workaholism related to more negative affect, which in turn related negatively to performance. After controlling for affective states, both work engagement and workaholism still had a direct and positive association with innovative behavior. Research limitations/implications – Limitations are the cross-sectional design and the reliance on self-report measures; although self-reports of business growth can be considered indicative of objective business performance. Bi-directional relationships between the study variables seem plausible. The dualistic approach to passion is a sound theoretical basis for future research on drivers and consequences of work engagement and workaholism. Practical implications – The findings imply that entrepreneurial success can be enhanced by improving entrepreneurs' emotion-regulation strategies to manage their affective states. Workaholics especially would benefit from such strategies. Social implications – Improving entrepreneurial performance has value for society via counteracting economic decline and creation of wealth and jobs. Originality/value – This study adds to our limited understanding of the consequences of work engagement and workaholism. It addresses entrepreneurs, who are an under researched occupational group.

Previous research has highlighted the importance of proactive personality for entrepreneurs and has provided support for its beneficial effects, for instance, on firm performance. Our study looks i...

textabstractObjectives: This study investigated physical, psychological and social job characteristics as potential risk factors for complaints of the arms, neck and shoulders (CANS) and mediating effects of muscular tension and need for recovery. Methods: Data were collected among 105 computer workers using questionnaires and electromyography (EMG), and were analyzed with linear regression analyses. Results: Task interdependence, information processing and lower social support predicted more CANS. Physical job demands had no predictive power over and above psychological and social stressors. Both muscular tension and need for recovery partially mediated the job characteristics—CANS relationships. Conclusions: Occupational health professionals should not neglect psychological and social job characteristics as potentially important predictors of CANS in specific occupational groups, such as office workers. Our findings imply that CANS interventions should not be restricted to ergonomic improvements, but should be accompanied by improvement of the job design from a psychological and social perspective and reactive intervention aimed at decreasing short-term physical strain (muscular tension) and mental strain (need for recovery).

The current research aims to shed light on the role of culture in the formation of career intentions. It draws on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; Ajzen), which has been widely employed to predict intentions, including entrepreneurial career intentions, but past research has almost exclusively been conducted in “Western” countries. The current research specifically explores the extent to which both the strength of relationships of TPB predictors with entrepreneurial career intentions and the TPB predictors themselves are invariant across cultures. The study compares six very different countries (Germany, India, Iran, Poland, Spain, and the Netherlands), drawing on an overall sample of 1,074 students and their assessments of entrepreneurial career intentions. Results support culture universal effects of attitudes and perceived behavioral control (self-efficacy) on entrepreneurial career intentions but cultural variation in the effects of subjective norm.

Purpose – This paper presents the research findings of a Post-Occupancy Evaluation of new ways of working at the Faculty of Architecture of the Delft University of Technology and the lessons that can be learned from this particular case in connection to research findings from similar cases.Design/Methodology/Approach – The article is based on an internet survey among 266 daily users, additional interviews with decision makers and other participants involved in the implementation process, analyses of documents and personal observations.Findings – The new office plan scores high on possibilities to meet other people. Work spaces are considered to be functional, but employees also reported a lack of spaces suited for confidential (telephone) conversations and insufficient visual and auditory privacy. Employees can insufficiently control the climate of their direct work environment and the way the environment looks like. Security of the workplaces is rated below average. People want more rooms equipped with doors, and doors that can be locked. Another important complaint was lack of personal and collective filing and storage possibilities. Research limitations – The paper focuses on office space; because of limited time and budget restrictions educational space was not included in this building-in-use study. There was no opportunity to conduct a zero measurement ex ante. Long term effects on use and experience are not known yet, nor the effects of improvements that are being implemented this year.Practical implications – The results can be used to support decision makers in implementing new office concepts, in general and in particular in an academic setting, ex post or ex ante.Originality/value – Much has been written about new ways of working, but research on this topic in academic settings is scarce

This study among a Dutch convenience sample of self-employed individuals (n = 262) and salaried employees (n = 1900) tested to what extent wo rkaholism and work engagement relate to self-reported work performance. After controlling for measurement inequivalence, results of structural equation modeling showed that the self-employed score higher on engagement and working excessively then employees, but not on working compulsively. In addition, work engagement related positively to task performance and innovativeness for both groups. However, engagement only related to contextual performance (performance beyond role requirements) for employees. Workaholism had positive and negative relationships with self-reported performance. Working excessively related positively to innovativeness for both groups, and to contextual performance for the self-employed. Working compulsively suppressed this positive relationship between excessive working and innovativeness in both groups, and between excessive working and contextual performance for the self-employed. In contrast to our expectations, working compulsively related positively to contextual performance for employees. © 2010 Taylor & Francis. ispartof: Journal of Positive Psychology vol:5 issue:1 pages:83-96 status: published

Personal value orientations were investigated among a sample of 60 rural indigenous women entrepreneurs in Iran, using the Schwartz Values Scale. The value dimensions were conformity, tradition, benevolence, universalism, self-direction, stimulation, hedonism, achievement, power, and security. Conformity was the value type rated most important, benevolence was second, security third, self-direction fourth, and universalism fifth. The five less important value types were, in order, tradition, stimulation, hedonism, achievement, and, power. Results imply that there are differences in values between indigenous and non-indigenous entrepreneurs. The paper concludes with practical and theoretical implications of the study's findings and recommendations for future research.