..All Others Bring Data

"The Social Psychology of Entrepreneurial Behavior" follows an admonition popularized by the American Statistical Association: "In God we trust; all others bring data." Compared to many of the disciplines (Economics, Psychology, Sociology) from which it draws some of its inspiration, Entrepreneurship has too often substituted speculation for data. For example, we all "know" that entrepreneurs are risk-takers whose intense desire for independence and financial success drives their creation of new companies. But is this knowledge correct? Recent research on entrepreneurial behavior suggests that every element of the description is, in fact, wrong. This book relies on contemporary experimental and survey research to provide a data-based view of entrepreneurial activity that separates the myths from the realities.