Psychology of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Businesses

We investigate whether entrepreneurs differ from other people, either because specific types of people choose such careers, or because they develop an entrepreneurial mindset based on the experiences they have gained during their careers. We analyze personality traits, specific patterns of perception and decision-making, as well as the learning, group, and social behaviors

of entrepreneurs, self-employed and innovative people, and traditionally oriented business people, as well as bankers, managers, social activists, and company founders with a strong profit orientation or those with a strong social motivation. An important question is which of these characteristics makes it more difficult or seemingly easier for a person to become a successful entrepreneur.

Selected Publications

• Bönte, W. und M. Piegeler (im Erscheinen) Gender Gap in Latent and Nascent Entrepreneurship: Driven by Competitiveness. Small Business Economics.
• Merz, C. und P. Witt (im Erscheinen) Welche Arten von Erfahrung helfen bei der erfolgreichen Gründung eines Unternehmens? Die Betriebswirtschaft.
• Volkmann, Christine K. / Tokarski, Kim Oliver / Ernst, Kati. (Hrsg.) (2012) Social Entrepreneurship and Social Business - An Introduction and Discussion with Case Studies, Springer Gabler, Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH.
• Urbig, D., Weitzel, U., Rosenkranz, S., van Witteloostuijn, A. (2012) Exploiting opportunities at all cost? Entrepreneurial intent and externalities. Journal of Economic Psychology, 33(2), 379-393.
• Urbig, D., Monsen, E. (2012) The structure of optimism: “Controllability affects the extent to which efficacy beliefs shape outcome expectancies”. Journal of Economic Psychology, 33(4), 854–867.
• Volkmann, C., Müller, S., Nazarkina, L. und C. Blank (2011) Social Entrepreneurship Research as a Means of Transformation: A Vision for the Year 2028. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 2(1), 112-120.
• Witt, P. und G. Schönbucher (2011) Unternehmerische Orientierung und Wettbewerbsfähigkeit. Zeitschrift für Betriebswirtschaft, 81, Ergänzungsheft 4, 125-151.