Personality Traits and Social Entrepreneurial Intentions: An Empirical Study of Undergraduate Level Development Studies Students in Nepal

Abstract

Social entrepreneurs are assumed to have such intentions of sustainability, through their deep assurance towards a social vision, sustainable practices, innovativeness and social network. This is believed to generate optimum financial returns through social enterprise. It is often said that social entrepreneurs hold certain unique personality traits, such as agreeableness, openness, extroversion, conscientiousness and trait composites which play an important role in social entrepreneurial intentions of an individual. The objective of this study is to examine the influence of personality traits on social entrepreneurial intentions. It also examines the role of Big Five Personality Trait on intentions to become a social entrepreneur. In order to meet the objectives, hypotheses are formed and tested. Validity, reliability, and normality of scales for social entrepreneurship and personality traits are done by employing Cronbach Alpha test and Skewness and Kurtosis. 184 representative sample from 339 population was selected by using proportionate stratified sampling technique. The seven-point Likert Scale is used to collect the data from 184 respondents. The undergraduate level Development Studies students of Nepalese university are selected to examine the ii issue. The statistical tools such as frequency, mean, Pearson Correlation Coefficient Analysis and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis are used to analyze and interpret the results. The findings tell that only extroversion, openness, and conscientiousness significantly influence social vision, social network, sustainability, innovation and financial returns. However, agreeableness, neuroticism and trait composites are found non-significant. In addition, all six personality traits were also found to have a positive correlation with social entrepreneurial intentions. Age, sex, ethnicity, father’s occupation, and mother’s occupation were found insignificant. This study helps to understand the context of social entrepreneurship in developing countries with the contribution on the body of knowledge. It also implies to policy makers, future researchers and towards sustainable development by identifying positive and negative personality traits among individuals that may encourage or hinders individual to have social entrepreneurial intentions.