entrepreneurial culture.pdf

CULTURE AND
ENTREPRENEURIAL
POTENTIAL: A NINE
COUNTRY STUDY OF
LOCUS OF CONTROL AND
INNOVATIVENESS
STEPHEN L. MUELLER
Florida International University, Miami, FL
ANISYA S. THOMAS
Florida International University, and Stockholm School of
Economics, Stockholm, Sweden
Entrepreneurship research has identified a number of personal characteris-
EXECUTIVE tics believed to be instrumental in motivating entrepreneurial behavior. Two
SUMMARY frequently cited personal traits associated with entrepreneurial potential are
internal locus of control and innovativeness. Internal locus of control has
been one of the most studied psychological traits in entrepreneurship re-
search, while innovative activity is explicit in Schumpeter’s description of the
entrepreneur. Entrepreneurial traits have been studied extensively in the United States. However, cross-
cultural studies and studies in non-. contexts are rare and in most cases limited parisons between
one or two countries or cultures. Thus the question is raised: do entrepreneurial traits vary systematically
across cultures and if so, why?
Culture, as the underlying system of values peculiar to a specific group or society, shapes the develop-
ment of certain personality traits and motivates individuals in a society to engage in behaviors that may
not be evident in other societies. Hofstede’s (1980) extensive culture study, leading to the development
of four culture dimensions, provide a clear articulation of differences between countries in values, beliefs,
Address correspondence to Professor Stephen L. Mueller, Assistant Professor, Florida International
University, College of Business Administration, Department of Management and International Business,
Miami, FL 33199; Phone: (305) 348-4219; Fax: (305) 348-3278; E-Mail: Muellers@
An earlier version of this paper was presented at the National Academy of Management Meeting in
Boston on August 12, 1997. The authors gratefully ackno