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Risk Propensity Differences Between Entrepreneurs and Managers:
‘A Meta-Analytic Review
Wayne H. Stewart Jr. and Philip L. Roth
Clemson University
[Research examining the relative risk-taking propensities of entrepreneurs and managers has produced
‘conflicting findings and no consensus, posing an impediment to theory developmen. To overcome the
Timitations of mative reviews, the authors sed peychometc meta-analysis to mathematically cumulate
the literature conceming risk propensity diferences between eouepreneus and manages. Rests
indict thatthe risk propensity of entepreneur greater than that Of managers. Moreover, tere are
larger citfrences berween entrepreneur whose primary gals venture growth versus those whose focus
is on proicing family income. Results als underscore the importance of precise construct definitions
sd igocous measurement
Recent meta-analyses in applied psychology have strongly sup-
ported the importance of personality traits in understanding and
Predicting organizational outcomes such as job performance, train-
ing success, and salary (ex, Barrick & Mount, 1991; Hough,
Eaton, Dunaete, Kamp, & McCloy, 1990), challenging years of
thought ha personality does not significantly influence behavior.
Although most of these analyses have focused on performance-
related outcomes in larger, well-established organizations, there
ate also implications forentepreneurs and thet emerging orgni-
ations. The role of personality in entrepreneurial career choice
ad in entrepreneurial eognition, important inthe development of
4 theory of the enteprencur (J, W. Carland, Hoy. Boulton, &
Carla, 1984; Johnson, 1990), has received substantial research
attention. A prime example i entrepreneurial risk-taking propen
Si, a research steam emanating from Cantons ealy-18t-
century conceptalization of ensepreneuial risk bearing, While
Scholars have been speculating onthe role of isk in entreprenes-
jal behavior fo over 300 yeas, the empirical evidence concerning
the hypothesis that enteprencus have a greater ik propensity
‘than do managers has bezn plagued by methodological imitation,
and the results appear inconsistent.
Because of contradictory results in the primary studies, eviews
of the lteraure (eg. Brockhaus & Horwitz, 1986; Chel, 1985;
Pery, 1990) have frequently concluded tat entrepreneurs do not
Ive a distinctive risk propensity compared with managers. These
narrative summaries, however, are prose to maj methodologies]
limitations, suchas not mathematically cumulating resus, lack of
attention to sampling ero, and measurement reliability concerns
“To date, there has been no rigorous assessment that satisfactorily
‘Wayne H. Stewart J and Philip L. Roth, Department of Management,
‘Clemson Univers
Funding fr this research was provided by the Spiro Center for Ente-
preneurial Leadership, Clemson Univertiy
(Corespondence concerning this aticle shouldbe addressed to Wayne
H, Stewart Jr, Deparment of Management, 101 Sirine Hall, Clemson
University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634-1308. Electron mail may Be
seat to waynes@clemson