The role of attributional explanatory style in the perceived outcomes of entrepreneurial venture failure
Abstract
The proposition of this study was that understanding the positive and/or negative impact of venture failure on the entrepreneur rests with that individual's general tendencies to interpret the causal nature of that failure. The intent was to test the application of combining attribution theory and the explanatory style models of Abramson, Seligman, and Teasdale (1978) and Weiner (1979, 1986) to entrepreneurial situations with a correlational research design. The sampling method used was purposive nonprobability sampling. The study involved three measurement procedures. The first measured entrepreneurial attitudes of the sample (Entrepreneurial Attitude Orientation Scale). The second assessed cross situational tendencies to explain events in a particular way (Attributional Style Questionnaire), and the third measured causal explanations for specific events that have occurred (Business Venture Scenarios). Data support the conclusion that attributional explanatory style does affect the perceived outcomes of a failed venture, specifically, the four areas of risk identified by Liles (1974) as being influenced by the entrepreneurial startup—financial well-being, career opportunities, family relations, and self-esteem. Though there was not consistent support across the board for all areas of risk with all attributional dimensions, the strongest relationships were with the outcomes of financial well-being and self-esteem with all dimensions being significant excluding stability. Because of the possible difficulty in abstracting singular causal relationships concerning attribution, overall explanatory style may be more influential for how individuals interpret events and behaviors and make causal explanations for answering why things happen. In this study, an overall explanatory style of external, unstable, specific, and uncontrollable attributions was associated with more positive perceived outcomes related to all the four areas of risk in the context of a failed entrepreneurial venture.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Feinberg, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Management|Occupational psychology
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