Through referenced literature and examples, examine the range of Essay

Through referenced literature and examples, examine the range of theories of what an entrepreneur is and how they contribute to the economy and society - Essay Example the term is applied, certain elements are constant: entrepreneurs are persons of certain psychological qualities and unique abilities who, through these qualities, contribute wealth and energy to an economy and social benefits beyond business. There are a whole range of theories as to what makes an entrepreneur. Regarding the assertion that entrepreneurs are born, not made...Shane (2010) asserts this may be only half true if one is speaking about genetic traits. One of the more modern empirical investigations was done by Collins and Moore and published in their exceptional analysis in The Enterprising Man. (delete words) Seeking to prove their theory that entrepreneurs represents certain psychological traits, they employed the Thematic Apperception Tests (TAT) test. The subject, presented with a set of cards with human figures in a variety of settings, creates a story including elements describing the event shown; what has led up to it; what the characters in the picture are feeling and thinking; and the outcome of the event. The test assumes certain results about the subject’s personality in relationship to entrepreneurship—workaholics rarely every satisfied; patronizing with subordinates; suspect and rejecting of authority—that within the Collins and Moore psychological profile theory represents early childhood relationships with adults in the entrepreneurs life. (Roberts, 1991: 50). Throughout other studies, however, while there appears to be a clear relationship between entrepreneurship and achievement motivation across a number of measurement instruments (Edwards Personal Preference Scale, the Mehrabian Scale, and the TAT (1) Sexton and Bowman (1986) found inconsistencies that challenge the blind acceptance of this theory, and that ‘students and nonstudents (entrepreneurs, potential entrepreneurs, and nonentrepreneurs) differ on a variety of characteristics which are supposed to be stable across time and situations according to personality