Abstract
Sustainable entrepreneurs play an essential role in solving environmental degradation and social problems that continuously threaten our livelihood. They destroy existing traditional production methods, products, market structures and consumption patterns, and replace them with products and services that are environmentally friendly and ethically produced. Sustainable entrepreneurs promote environmental regeneration, responsible resources management, and practice good governance. However, little is known about the characteristics that shape sustainable entrepreneurs. Based on entrepreneurship characteristics theory, the study aims to explore and uncover the personal traits and skills that shape sustainable entrepreneurs. Our paper shows that six key characteristics of sustainable entrepreneurs are altruistic, innovativeness, the ability to balance values, economic motives, and perceived capabilities, probity, self-compassion, and holistic. The study contributes to a better understanding of the inherent characteristics that promote sustainable entrepreneurship. The findings of the study can be used to develop a sustainable entrepreneurship program in higher education.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abdulwahab, M. H., & Al-damen, R. A. (2015). The impact of entrepreneurs’ characteristics on small business success at medical instruments supplies organizations in Jordan Amman Arab University Business Administration Department Amman Arab University. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 6(8), 164–175.
Bandura, A. (1997). Theoretical perspectives: The nature of human agency. In Self-efficacy: The exercise of control (p. 3). http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9703260522&site=ehost-live
Banicki, K. (2017). The character–personality distinction: An historical, conceptual, and functional investigation. Theory and Psychology, 27(1), 50–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959354316684689
Boag, S., & Tiliopoulos, N. (2011). Personality and individual differences: Theory, assessment, and application. In Personality and individual differences: Theory, assessment, and application.
Bosma, N., Schøtt, T., Terjesen, S., & Kew, P. (2015). Global Entrepreneurship monitor special topic report: Social entrepreneurship. Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (pp. 1–44). www. gemconsortium.org
Carsrud, A. L., & Brännback, M. (2009). Understanding the entrepreneurial mind. Understanding the Entrepreneurial Mind. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0443-0
Chadha, A., & Koellinger, P. (2012). Characterizing sustainable entrepreneurship. In BSc. International bachelor economics & business economics (IBEB) (Vol. 305972). https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/11872/BA-thesisSA.Chadha-Final.pdf
Chye Koh, H. (1996). Testing hypotheses of entrepreneurial characteristics: A study of Hong Kong MBA students. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 11(3), 12–25. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683949610113566
De Dominicis, S., Schultz, P. W., & Bonaiuto, M. (2017). Protecting the environment for self-interested reasons: Altruism is not the only pathway to sustainability. Frontiers in Psychology, 8(June), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01065
Dees, J. G. (2012). A tale of two cultures: Charity, problem solving, and the future of social entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Ethics, 111(3), 321–334. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1412-5
Dinis, A., do Paço, A., Ferreira, J., Raposo, M., & Rodrigues, R. G. (2013). Psychological characteristics and entrepreneurial intentions among secondary students. Education and Training, 55(8–9), 763–780. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-06-2013-0085
Dutton, J. E., Workman, K. M., & Hardin, A. E. (2014). Compassion at work. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1, 277–304. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031413-091221
Engel, Y., Ramesh, A., & Steiner, N. (2019). Powered by compassion: The effect of loving-kindness meditation on entrepreneurs’ sustainable decision-making. Journal of Business Venturing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2019.105986
Fellnhofer, K. (2017). Drivers of innovation success in sustainable businesses. Journal of Cleaner Production, 167, 1534–1545. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.08.197
Gartner, W. B. (1989). Some suggestions for research on entrepreneurial traits and characteristics. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 14(1), 27–38. https://doi.org/10.1177/104225878901400103
Hansemark, O. C. (2003). Need for achievement, locus of control and the prediction of business start-ups: A longitudinal study. Journal of Economic Psychology, 24(3), 301–319. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-4870(02)00188-5
Hockerts, K. (2015). Determinants of social entrepreneurial intentions. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 41(1), 105–130. https://doi.org/10.1111/etap.12171
Hockerts, K., & Wüstenhagen, R. (2012). When David meets Goliath: Sustainable entrepreneurship and the evolution of markets. Social Innovation. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230367098_12
Hoogendoorn, B., van der Zwan, P., & Thurik, R. (2019). Sustainable entrepreneurship: The role of perceived barriers and risk. Journal of Business Ethics, 157(4), 1133–1154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3646-8
Hwee Nga, J. K., & Shamuganathan, G. (2010). The influence of personality traits and demographic factors on social entrepreneurship start up intentions. Journal of Business Ethics, 95(2), 259–282. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0358-8
Jegede, O. O., Jegede, O. E., & Mustapha, N. (2006). Informal sector measurement of openness, collaboration and innovation: The case of Otigba hardware microenterprises cluster in Africa. In Business history (Vol. 48, Issue January). http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/oso/public/content/oho_business/9780199286805/toc.html
Karimi, S., Biemans, H. J. A., Lans, T., Arasti, Z., Chizari, M., & Mulder, M. (2012). Application of structural equation modelling to assess the effect of entrepreneurial characteristics on students’ entrepreneurial intentions. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2152932
Karimova, H., & Nash, J. (2018). Personality & character traits: The good, the bad and the ugly. https://positivepsychology.com/character-traits/
Kerr, P. S., Kerr, W. R., & Xu, T. (2017). Personality traits of entrepreneurs: A review of recent literature. In Harvard business school (Vol. 9, Issue 33).
Khovrak, I. (2018). Social entrepreneurship and its role in sustainable development: Regulation, funding and trust building. Studia i Materiały. https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=775116
MacKo, A., & Tyszka, T. (2009). Entrepreneurship and risk taking. Applied Psychology, 58(3), 469–487. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.2009.00402.x
Markman, G. D., Balkin, D. B., & Baron, R. A. (2002). Inventors and new venture formation: The effects of general self-efficacy and regretful thinking. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 27(2), 149–165. https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-8520.00004
McCelland, D. (1971). The achieving society (p. 6).
Mill, J. S. (2004). Principles of political economy (Abridged): With some of their applications to social philosophy. http:// books.google.nl/books?id=kxSw72qiV7YC%5Cn, http://files/5969/Mill-2004-PrinciplesofPoliticalEconomy(Abridged)WithSomeofTheirApplicationstoSocialPhilosophy.pdf
Mitton, D. G. (1989). The complete entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 13(3), 9–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/104225878901300303
Muñoz, P. (2018). A cognitive map of sustainable decision-making in entrepreneurship. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-03-2017-0110/full/html
Otilia, M. P. E. (2019). Entrepreneurship, a determinant factor in the sustainable development of small businesses. Jurnal Perspektif Pembiayaan Dan …. http://online-journal.unja.ac.id/JES/article/view/6134
Paunonen, S. V., & Jackson, D. N. (1996). The Jackson personality inventory and the five-factor model of personality. Journal of Research in Personality, 30(1), 42–59. https://doi.org/10.1006/jrpe.1996.0003
Ploum, L., Blok, V., Lans, T., & Omta, O. (2018). Toward a validated competence framework for sustainable entrepreneurship. Organization and Environment. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026617697039
Robinson, P. B., Stimpson, D. V., Huefner, J. C., & Hunt, H. K. (1991). An attitude approach to the prediction of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 15(4), 13–32.
Sally, C. (1991). Testing enterprising tendancy in occupational groups. British Journal of Management, 2(July), 177–186.
Sari, I. A., & Rahmantika, D. N. (2018). The effect of firm characteristics and entrepreneur characteristics on the success of Msme business in Central Java Province. Jurnal Manajemen: Dayasaing, 23(1), 26–35.
Schultz, P. W. (2002). Inclusion with nature: The psychology of human-nature relations. Psychology of Sustainable Development, 61–78. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0995-0_4
Schumpeter, J. A. (2008). Capitalism, socialism, and democracy. Harper Perennial Modern Thought.
Selamat, F., Tunjungsari, H. K., Chairy, & Utama, D. W. (2018). Entrepreneurial characteristics amongst different professional backgrounds: Evidence from Indonesia. International Journal of Business, 2(1), 25–32. https://doi.org/10.32924/IJBS.V2I1.30
Shane, S., & Venkataraman, S. (2000). The promise of enterpreneurship as a field of research. The Academy of Management Review, 25(1), 217. https://doi.org/10.2307/259271
Shepherd, D. A., & Patzelt, H. (2011). The new field of sustainable entrepreneurship: Studying entrepreneurial action linking “what is to be sustained” with “what is to be developed.” Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 35(1), 137–163. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2010.00426.x
Siregar, H., Tampubolon, N., & Yulius. (2015). The art of sustainable giving. http://image-src.bcg.com/The-Art-of-Sustainable-Giving-May-2015_tcm93-40480.pdf
Tesfaye, G., & Kitaw, D. (2018). An innovation capability development process for firms in developing countries: A theoretical conceptual model. Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, 14(3), 87–110. https://doi.org/10.7341/20181434
Trihopoulou, K. S. A. (2005). Female entrepreneurs’ personal characteristics and motivation: A review of the Greek situation. Women in Management Review, 20(1), 24–36. https://doi.org/10.1108/09649420510579559
UNDP. (2019). Creative industries and sustainable development | Sustainable Development Goals Fund. https://www.sdgfund.org/creative-industries-and-sustainable-development
Vuorio, A. M., Puumalainen, K., & Fellnhofer, K. (2018). Drivers of entrepreneurial intentions in sustainable entrepreneurship. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research, 24(2), 359–381. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-03-2016-0097
Yang, M., Vladimirova, D., Rana, P., & Evans, S. (2014). Sustainable value analysis tool for value creation. Asian Journal of Management Science and Applications, 1(4), 312. https://doi.org/10.1504/ajmsa.2014.070649
Yitshaki, R., Kropp, F., & Honig, B. (2022). The role of compassion in shaping social entrepreneurs’ prosocial opportunity recognition. Journal of Business Ethics, 179(2) (Springer, Netherlands). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04860-x
Acknowledgements
We thank our Faculty of Design Dean Dr. Martin L. Katoppo S.T.M.T., and the Chairman of Center for Research and Community Development (CRD) Dr.-Ing.Ihan Martoyo, S.T., M.Sc. This article is a research publication registered in Center for Research and Community Development (CRD) of Pelita Harapan University under number 129/LPPM-UPH-VI/2022.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Gumulya, D. (2024). The Key Characteristics of Sustainable Entrepreneurs. In: Tunio, M.N., Sánchez, A., Hatem, Y.M.L., Zakaria, A.M. (eds) Sustainability in Creative Industries. SCI 2022. Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48453-7_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48453-7_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-48452-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-48453-7
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)