Title: Antecedents of social entrepreneurship: between public service motivation and the need for achievement

Authors: Othmar M. Lehner; Andrew J. Germak

Addresses: Said Business School, University of Oxford, UK ' School of Social Work, Rutgers University, USA

Abstract: A survey designed by the authors was administered to social impact hub members worldwide in an effort to better understand the motivational bases of social entrepreneurs. A specific focus in this study was the relationship between entrepreneurial traits, social entrepreneurial identity, and the actual success of a social venture. The assumptions from field observations that the construct of social entrepreneurial identification (SEII) and the successful start of a social venture (SUCC) are related were confirmed when controlling for gender, family, and cultural influences. Public service motivation (PSM), paired with a strong locus of control (LoC), innovativeness (INN) and tenacity (TE) were found to be the suggested qualities of social entrepreneurs. However, managerial experience and a pro-entrepreneurial background culture were much more predictive than was SEII. This study provides an empirical foundation for future research in the area of social entrepreneurship motivation, as well as practical implications for fostering social ventures.

Keywords: social entrepreneurship; entrepreneurship antecedents; public service motivation; locus of control; innovativeness; need for achievement; entrepreneurial traits; social entrepreneurial identity; social venture success; social ventures; gender; family; cultural influences; culture.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSEI.2014.067120

International Journal of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2014 Vol.3 No.3, pp.214 - 229

Received: 05 Aug 2014
Accepted: 22 Oct 2014
Published online: 31 Jan 2015 *

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