This study addresses the cross-cultural utility of a model integrating behavioural and contextual variables interacting in a way likely to spawn firm success. A sample of 38 growth-oriented entrepreneurs from the Lazio region of central Italy has been tested by means of structured interviews based on two predictor measures (the Miner Sentence Completion Scale-T and the Differential Attribution Questionnaire) together with two performance measures (growth in sales and growth in profit over a three-year period) in an attempt to provide cross-cultural substantiation for a model employed in previous research. The findings of this study corroborate earlier findings and support, overall, the predictive feature of the model. The practical utility of this type of research in designing and implementing entrepreneurial development programmes in southern Italy is discussed.
AldrichH.RosenB.WoodwardW. (1987), ‘The impact of social networks on business founding and profit: A longitudinal study’, paper presented at the Babson College Entrepreneurship Conference.
2.
AldrichH.ZimmerC. (1986), Chapter 1, in SextonSmilor, eds, The Art and Science of Entrepreneurship, Ballinger Publishing, Cambridge, MA.
3.
AronoffJ.LitwinG. H. (1971), ‘Achievement motivation training and executive advancement’, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Vol 7, No 2, pp 215–229.
4.
BallouR.BowersD.BoyatzisR. E.KolbeD. A. (1999), ‘Fellowship in lifelong learning: An executive development program for advanced professionals’, Journal of Management Education, Vol 23, No 4, pp 338–354.
5.
BelluR. (1988), ‘A behavioral explanation of the differential economic development of the center-north and Mezzogiorno of Italy’, Journal of Regional Policy, Vol 8, pp 67–81.
6.
BelluR. (1988a), ‘Are entrepreneurs and managers different?’Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research 1988, pp 16–32.
7.
BelluR. (1990), ‘Southern entrepreneurs: Are they different from other entrepreneurs? – A cross-cultural study’, Journal of Regional Policy, Vol 3, pp 355–390.
8.
BelluR. (1993), ‘Task role motivation and attributional style as predictors of entrepreneurial performance: Female sample findings’, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, Vol 5, No 4, pp 331–344.
9.
BelluR.DavidssonP.GoldfarbC. (1990), ‘Towards a theory of entrepreneurial behavior: Empirical evidence from Israel, Italy and Sweden’, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, Vol 2, pp 195–209.
10.
BelluR.ShermanH. (1993), ‘Predicting entrepreneurial success from task motivation and attributional style: A longitudinal study’, Proceedings of The Eighth Annual National Conference of The United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, pp 16–23.
BrackerJ. S.KeatsB. W.PearsonJ. S. (1988), ‘Planning and financial performance among small firms in a growth industry’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol 9, pp 591–603.
13.
BrettJ. F.VandeWalleD. (1999), ‘Goal orientation and goal content as predictors of performance in a training program’, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol 84, No 6, pp 863–873.
14.
BusenitzL. W.LauChung-Ming (1997), ‘A cross-cultural cognitive model of new venture creations’, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Vol 20, No 4, pp 25–40.
15.
BygraveW. D. (1989), ‘The entrepreneurial paradigm (I): A philosophical look at its research methodologies’, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Vol 14, No 1, pp 7–23.
16.
CarsrudA. L.JohnsonR. W. (1989), ‘Entrepreneurship: A social psychological perspective’, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, Vol 1, No 1, pp 21–31.
17.
ChandlerA. D. (1962), Strategy and Structure, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
18.
ChioniR. (2002), ‘La regione Lazio al centro del futuro’, Oggi, Vol 27, 9 July.
19.
ChurchillN.LewisV. L. (1983), ‘The five stages of small business growth’, Harvard Business Review, Vol 6, No 3, pp 30–50.
20.
DasT. K.Bong-ShengTeng (1997), ‘Time and entrepreneurial risk behavior’, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Vol 22, No 2, pp 69–88.
21.
DweckC. S. (1999), Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality and Development, The Psychology Press, New York.
22.
FlorioM. (1996), ‘Large firms, entrepreneurship and regional development policy: ‘growth poles’ in the Mezzogiorno over 40 years’, Entrepreneur ship and Regional Development, Vol 8, No 3, pp 263–295.
23.
GartnerW. B. (1985), ‘A conceptual framework for describing the phenomenon of new venture creation’, Academy of Management Review, Vol 10, No 4, pp 696–705.
24.
GartnerW. B. (1989), ‘Some suggestions for research on entrepreneurial traits and characteristics’, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Vol 14, No 1, pp 27–37.
25.
GiladB. (1982), ‘An interdisciplinary approach to entrepreneurship: Locus of control and alertness’, Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol 43, No 2-A, p 499.
26.
GistM. E.StevensC. K.BavettaA. G. (1991), ‘Effects of self-efficacy and post-training intervention on the acquisition and maintenance of complex interpersonal skills’, Personnel Psychology, Vol 44, pp 837–861.
27.
HerronL.SapienzaH. J.Smith-CookD. (1991) ‘Entrepreneurship theory from an interdisciplinary perspective’, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Vol 16, No 2, pp 7–22.
28.
HofstedeG. (1980), Culture Consequences, Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, CA.
29.
IaconoG. (1968), ‘An affiliative society facing innovation’, Journal of Social Issues, Vol 24, No 2.
30.
JohnsonB. R. (1990), ‘Toward a multidimensional model of entrepreneurship: The case of achievement motivation and the entrepreneur’, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Vol 14, No 3, pp 39–54.
31.
JourdanL. F. (1987), ‘Differentiation between successful and unsuccessful entrepreneurs’, PhD dissertation, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA.
32.
KaplanR. E.PalusC. J. (1994), ‘Enhancing 360-degree feedback for senior executives: How to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks’, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, NC.
33.
KazanjianR. (1988), ‘Relation of dominant problems to stages of growth in technology-based new ventures’, Academy of Management Journal, Vol 31, No 2, pp 257–279.
34.
KirznerI. (1973), Competition and Entrepreneurship, University of Chicago Press, IL.
35.
KolbD. A.BoyatzisR. E. (1970), ‘Goal-setting and self-directed behavior change’, Human Relations, Vol 23, No 5, pp 439–457.
LylesM. A.BairdI. S.OrrisBurdeanne J.KuratkoD. F. (1993), ‘Formalized planning in small business: Increasing strategic choices’, Journal of Small Business Management, Vol 31, No 2, pp 38–50.
38.
MarxR. D. (1982), ‘Relapse prevention for managerial training: A model for maintenance of behavior change’, Academy of Management Review, Vol 7, No 3, pp 433–441.
39.
McClellandD. (1961), The Achieving Society, Van Nostrand, Princeton, NJ.
40.
McClellandD. (1987), ‘Characteristics of successful entrepreneurs’, Journal of Creative Behavior, Vol 21, pp 219–233.
41.
McClellandD.WinterD. G. (1969), Motivating Economic Achievement, The Free Press, New York.
42.
McGaffeyT. N.ChristyR. (1975), ‘Information capabilities as predictor of entrepreneurial effectiveness’, Academy of Management Journal, Vol 18, pp 93–112.
43.
MinerJ. B. (1982), ‘The uncertain future of the leadership concept: Revisions and clarifications’, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Vol 18, pp 293–307.
44.
MinerJ. B. (1990), ‘Entrepreneurs, high-growth entrepreneurs, and managers: Contrasting and overlapping motivational patterns’, Journal of Business Venturing, Vol 5, pp 221–234.
45.
MinerJ. B. (1990a), Theories of Organizational Behavior, Holt, Rinehart and Wiston, New York.
46.
MinerJ. B. (1993), Role Motivation Theories, Routledge, Chapman, Hall, New York.
47.
MinerJ. B.SmithN. R.BrackerJ. S. (1992), ‘Predicting firm survival from a knowledge of entrepreneur task motivation’, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, Vol 4, No 2, pp 145–153.
48.
MironD.McClellandD. C. (1979), ‘The impact of achievement motivation training on small businesses’, California Management Review, Vol 21, No 4, pp 13–28.
49.
MittonD. G. (1989), ‘The complete entrepreneur’, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Vol 16, No 3, pp 9–20.
50.
MurphyG. B.TrailerJ. W.HillR. C. (1993), ‘Measuring performance in entrepreneurship research: A review of the empirical literature’, Proceedings of the Eighth Annual Conference of United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, pp 163–170.
51.
NaffzigerD.HornsbyJ. S.KuratkoD. F. (1994), ‘A proposed research model of entrepreneurial motivation’, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Vol 18, No 3, pp 29–42.
52.
NoeR. A. (1986), ‘Trainees' attributes and attitudes: Neglected influences on training effectiveness’, Academy of Management Review, Vol 11, No 4, pp 736–749.
53.
PearceJ. A.FreemanE. B.RobinsonR. B. (1987), ‘The tenuous link between formal strategic planning and financial performance’, Academy of Management Review, Vol 12, pp 658–675.
54.
PinedaR. C.LernerL. D.MillerM. C.PhillipsS. J. (1998), ‘An investigation of factors affecting the information-search activities of small business managers’, Journal of Small Business Management, Vol 36, No 1, pp 60–72.
PorrasJ. L.HargisK. (1982), ‘Precursors of individual change: Responses to a social learning theory based on organizational intervention’, Human Relations, Vol 35, No 11, pp 973–990.
57.
PorterM. (1985), Competitive Advantage, Free Press, New York.
58.
QuinnR. E.CameronK. (1983), ‘Organizational life cycles and sifting criteria of effectiveness: Some preliminary evidence’, Management Science, Vol 29, No 1, pp 33–51.
59.
ReivichK.ShatteA. (2002), The Resilience Factor, Broadway Books, New York.
60.
RobinsonR. B.PearceJ. A. (1983), ‘The impact of formalized strategic planning on financial performance in small organizations’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol 4, pp 197–207.
61.
SchumpeterJ. A. (1934), The Theory of Economic Development, Harvard University Press, MA.
62.
SeligmanM. (1984), ‘Attributional style and the generality of learned helplessness’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 46, pp 681–687.
63.
SeligmanM. (1991), Learned Optimism, Knopf, New York.
64.
SeligmanM. (1994), What You Can Change and What You Can't, Knopf, New York.
SeligmanM.SchulmanP. (1986), ‘Explanatory style as a predictor of productivity and quitting among life insurance sales agents’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 50, pp 832–838.
68.
SextonD. (1987), ‘Advancing small business research: Utilizing research from other areas’, American Journal of Small Business, Vol 11, No 3, pp 25–30.
69.
SextonD.BowmanN. B. (1986), ‘Validation of personality index’, Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research 1986, pp 40–57.
70.
ShaverK. G.ScottL. R. (1991), ‘Person, process, choice: The psychology of new venture creation’, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Vol 16, No 2, pp 23–45.
71.
SmithN.BrackerJ.MinerJ. B. (1987), ‘Correlates of firm and entrepreneur success in technologically innovative companies’, Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research 1987, pp 327–347.
72.
SmithN.MinerJ. (1985), ‘Motivational consideration in the success of technologically innovative entrepreneurs: Extended sample findings’, Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research 1985, pp 482–488.
73.
StewartW. H.CarlandJ. A.CarlandJ. W. (1996), ‘Empirically defining the entrepreneur’, Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship, Vol 8, No 1, pp 1–18.
74.
Van de VenA.HudsonR.ScroederD. (1984), ‘Designing new business start-ups: Entrepreneurial, organizational and ecological problems’, Journal of Management, Vol 10, No 1, pp 87–108.
75.
WeinerB. (1986), An Attribution Theory of Motivation and Emotion, Springer-Verlag, New York.
76.
WeinerB.NierenberR.GoldsteinM. (1976), ‘Social learning (locus of control) versus attributional (causal stability) interpretations of expectancy of success’, Journal of Personality, Vol 44, pp 52–68.
77.
WoodD. R.LaForgeR. L. (1979), ‘The impact of comprehensive planning on financial performance’, Academy of Management Journal, Vol 22, pp 516–526.
