Title: Ascetic entrepreneurs: an elite prosopography

Authors: David Kee

Addresses: Harding University, 915 E. Market Ave., Searcy, Arkansas, USA

Abstract: Asceticism has been advanced as a contributing factor to successful entrepreneurship. This paper reflects the testing of this construct with a prosopographical case study of six elite entrepreneurs. Bridging three centuries of new entry creation of sustained growth, this study verifies that asceticism is an appropriate explanatory mechanism and ethical standard for start-up viability and entrepreneurial success.

Keywords: asceticism; entrepreneurial orientation; ethics; Max Weber; Protestant work ethic; PWE; prosopography; Asa Candler; Hans Wilsdorf; Sam Walton; Ingvar Kamprad; Bill Marriott; Truett Cathy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2018.091450

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2018 Vol.34 No.1, pp.68 - 91

Received: 30 Nov 2016
Accepted: 30 Nov 2016
Published online: 01 May 2018 *

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