New publication about entrepreneurial personality

The comparison of self-employed individuals in craft and non-craft professions reveals differences in their individual personality traits. The crafts sector plays an important role in the case or rural regions.

The results confirm previous research on the general relationship between personality traits and the decision to become self-employed. However, they also suggest that certain personality traits differ between craft and non-craft occupations, particularly regarding the role of the Big Five trait "conscientiousness" — a personality characteristic that was believed to play only a minor role as a determinant of self-employment. In the context of self-employment in the craft sector, however, "conscientiousness" takes on special significance, as it is closely linked to the development of craftsmanship and the required level of precision, quality, and care in technical and practical work.

The article has been published under the title "Personality traits and the likelihood of self-employment: A journey into the crafts' way of doing business" in the German Economic Review, an international economics journal published by the Verein für Socialpolitik.

Contact: Dr. Petrik Runst