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2017 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

18. Thoughts Have Consequences: Attributions By and About Entrepreneurs

Author : Kelly G. Shaver

Published in: Revisiting the Entrepreneurial Mind

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

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Abstract

An entrepreneurial venture cannot succeed if it is not begun, so an entrepreneur’s decision to start is absolutely critical. That decision will be affected by the entrepreneur’s beliefs about what personal traits are needed and whether she/he has them. Once started, an entrepreneurial venture only very rarely can be scaled without external financial support, provided by investors who have their own unique views of the required traits and likely causes of success. The principles of attribution theory inform our understanding of the causes of both success and failure. Additionally, well-documented errors in causal reasoning can adversely affect entrepreneurial action. This chapter describes the fundamentals of the attribution approach and suggests how correct attributions can support entrepreneurial behavior.

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Title: Thoughts Have Consequences: Attributions By and About Entrepreneurs
Author: Kelly G. Shaver
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Book: Revisiting the Entrepreneurial Mind
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-45543-3

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-319-45544-0

Copyright Year: 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45544-0_18