Business owners' action planning and its relationship to business success in three African countries

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

  • Michael Frese
  • Stefanie I Krauss
  • Nina Keith
  • Susanne Escher
  • Rafal Grabarkiewicz
  • Siv Tonje Luneng
  • Constanze Heers
  • Jens Unger
  • Christian Friedrich
A model of business success was developed with motivational resources (locus of control, self-efficacy, achievement motivation, and self-reported personal initiative) and cognitive resources (cognitive ability and human capital) as independent variables, business owners' elaborate and proactive planning as a mediator, and business size and growth as dependent variables. Three studies with a total of 408 African micro and small-scale business owners were conducted in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Structural equation analyses partially supported the hypotheses on the importance of psychological planning by the business owners. Elaborate and proactive planning was substantially related to business size and to an external evaluation of business success and was a (partial) mediator for the relationship between cognitive resources and business success. The model carries important implications for selection, training, and coaching of business owners.
Original languageEnglish
JournalThe Journal of applied psychology
Volume92
Issue number6
Pages (from-to)1481-1498
Number of pages18
ISSN0021-9010
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.11.2007
Externally publishedYes

    Research areas

  • Achievement, Commerce, Decision Making, Organizational, Humans, Motivation, Namibia, Ownership, Planning Techniques, South Africa, Zimbabwe
  • Business psychology
  • Entrepreneurship