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. 2024 Dec 13;19(12):e0312944.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312944. eCollection 2024.

What motivates start-up entrepreneurs? Exploring the role of human values in success

Eamon Curtin  1 , Gabriel Lins de Holanda Coelho  1 , Paul H P Hanel  2
Affiliations

What motivates start-up entrepreneurs? Exploring the role of human values in success

Eamon Curtin et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

This study explores how entrepreneurs perceive success, the influence of their values on this perception, and the association between values and success. We surveyed 96 Irish entrepreneurs to capture their definitions of success, their own values, their perceptions of a successful entrepreneur's values, and various success metrics. We coded the qualitative responses regarding what success means to them using Schwartz's (1992) model of human values. We found different and partly conflicting interpretations of success, suggesting that entrepreneurial success is multidimensional. While many participants interpreted success as related to achievement and power, others interpreted it as related to universalism and benevolence, going beyond past research that defined entrepreneurial success as primarily based on self-enhancement motives. Further, entrepreneurs in our sample valued conformity, tradition, and security less than the average person in Ireland, but stimulation and self-direction more. Interestingly, entrepreneurs' values were unrelated to the understanding of success and the actual success of entrepreneurs, as measured by turnover and the number of staff. This is an encouraging finding because it suggests that people can become successful entrepreneurs independently of their values. Together, our findings provide new insights into how entrepreneurs conceptualize success, revealing both self-enhancing and self-transcending perspectives.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Schwartz`s model of human values (in italic, examples of values).
Image from (Coelho et al., 2019) [19].
Fig 2
Fig 2. Radarchart of entrepreneurs own values (blue), how they perceive the values of a successful entrepreneur (red), and an Irish representative sample (green).
Note. 1 indicates a low endorsement of a value, and 6 indicates a high endorsement. “Irish” refers to the average values of people living in Ireland, which is derived from a large representative sample (see Method section for details).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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