Passion, creativity, and hard skills in circular entrepreneurship
PDF

Keywords

entrepreneur personality
circular entrepreneurship
circular economy
passion
creativity
Italian companies

How to Cite

De Chiara, A., Mauro, S., DAURIA, A., & Sergianni, L. (2024). Passion, creativity, and hard skills in circular entrepreneurship: A multiple case study on Italian companies. Piccola Impresa Small Business, (1). https://doi.org/10.14596/pisb.4019
Received 2023-07-30
Accepted 2024-06-03
Published 2024-08-22

Abstract

Purpose. Although the personality of the entrepreneur is considered a key determinant of a company's performance, this aspect in companies adopting circular economy practices has been little studied. Therefore, this paper aims to contribute to the literature on the personality of the entrepreneur in firms adopting circular economy practices, and his/her capabilities to manage circular practices.

Design/methodology/approach. A multiple case study method was applied to 10 companies adopting circular economy practices.

Findings. The personality of the entrepreneur is characterized by a specific trait, defined here as passion for environmental issues and interest in social issues. Such as, referring to capabilities, leadership and collaborative skills are considered essential traits.

Practical and Social implications. The elements defining the circular entrepreneur and the ability to integrate different skills as a key element of circular entrepreneurship highlighted in this paper offer policy and theoretical implications for further investigation.

Originality of the study. The study defines the personality of the entrepreneur and his/her ability to manage and sustain circular practices.

https://doi.org/10.14596/pisb.4019
PDF

References

References

Aaboen, L., La Rocca, A., Lind, F., Perna, A., & Shih, T. (2017). Starting up in business networks — Why Relationships Matter in Entrepreneurship. Starting Up in Business Networks: Why Relationships Matter in Entrepreneurship, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-52719-6_1

Affolderbach, J., & Krueger, R. (2017). “Just” ecopreneurs: re-conceptualising green transitions and entrepreneurship. Local Environment, 22(4), 410-423. https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2016.1210591

Alvarez, G., & I. Sinde-Cantorna, A. (2014). Self-employment and job satisfaction: an empirical analysis. International Journal of Manpower, 35(5), 688-702. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJM-11-2012-0169.

Babbitt, C. W., Althaf, S., Rios, F. C., Bilec, M. M., & Graedel, T. E. (2021). The role of design in circular economy solutions for critical materials. One Earth, 4(3), 353-362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2021.02.014.

Baldassarre, B., Schepers, M., Bocken, N., Cuppen, E., Korevaar, G., & Calabretta, G. (2019). Industrial Symbiosis: towards a design process for eco-industrial clusters by integrating Circular Economy and Industrial Ecology perspectives. Journal of cleaner production, 216, 446-460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.091.

Bergner, S. (2020). Being smart is not enough: Personality traits and vocational interests incrementally predict intention, status and success of leaders and entrepreneurs beyond cognitive ability. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 204. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00204.

Bradford, S. & Cullin, F. (2012), Research and Research Methods for Youth Practitioners, Routledge, London. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203802571.

Branca, T. A., Colla, V., Algermissen, D., Granbom, H., Martini, U., Morillon, A., & Rosendahl, S. (2020). Reuse and recycling of by-products in the steel sector: Recent achievements paving the way to circular economy and industrial symbiosis in Europe. Metals, 10(3), 345. https://doi.org/10.3390/met10030345.

Branicki, L. J., Sullivan-Taylor, B., & Livschitz, S. R. (2017). How entrepreneurial resilience generates resilient SMEs. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 24(7), 1244-1263. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-11-2016-0396.

Brown, P., Baldassarre, B., Konietzko, J., Bocken, N., & Balkenende, R. (2021). A tool for collaborative circular proposition design. Journal of Cleaner Production, 297, 126354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126354.

Butt, A. S. 2022a. Building Resilience in Retail Supply Chains: Lessons Learned from COVID-19 and Future Pathways. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 29 (10), 3057–3078. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-09-2021-0514.

Butz, N. T., Hanson, S., Schultz, P. L., & Warzynski, M. M. (2018). Beyond the Big Five: does grit influence the entrepreneurial intent of university students in the US?. Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, 8, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40497-018-0100-z.

Cao, Y., Asad, M. M., Wang, L., Naz, A., & Almusharraf, N. (2022). Role of personality traits for entrepreneurial intentions of young entrepreneurs: A case study of higher education institution. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 6045. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1010412.

Dantas, R. M., Ilyas, A., Martins, J. M., & Rita, J. X. (2022). Circular entrepreneurship in emerging markets through the lens of sustainability. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 8(4), 211. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc8040211.

De Raad, B. (2000). The big five personality factors: the psycholexical approach to personality. Hogrefe & Huber Publishers.

Den Hollander, M. (2018). Design for Managing Obsolescence A Design Methodology for Preserving Product Integrity in a Circular Economy. TU Delft University: Delft, The Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.4233/uuid:3f2b2c52-7774-4384-a2fd-7201688237af.

Eisenhardt, K. M. 1989. Agency Theory: An Assessment and Review. Academy of Management Review 14 (1), 57–74. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1989.4279003.

Eisenreich, A., Füller, J., & Stuchtey, M. (2021). Open circular innovation: How companies can develop circular innovations in collaboration with stakeholders. Sustainability, 13(23), 13456. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313456.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2013). Towards the circular economy Vol. 1: an economic and business rationale for an accelerated transition. [Online]. Available at: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/towards-the-circular-economy-vol-1-an-economic-and-business-rationale-for-an

Ferasso, M., Beliaeva, T., Kraus, S., Clauss, T., & Ribeiro‐Soriano, D. (2020). Circular economy business models: The state of research and avenues ahead. Business strategy and the environment, 29(8), 3006-3024. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2554

Forster, M., Parrer, P., & Wöss, N. M. (2013). Personality: Blessing or curse? The entrepreneur’s path from personal to leadership competencies. Organizacija, 46(5), 221-231. https://doi.org/10.2478/orga-2013-0020.

Goldberg, L. R. (1992). The development of markers for the Big-Five factor structure. Psychological Assessment, 4(1), 26-42. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/1040-3590.4.1.26.

Greco, M., Grimaldi, M., & Cricelli, L. (2020). Interorganizational collaboration strategies and innovation abandonment: The more the merrier? Industrial Marketing Management, 90, 679-692. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2020.03.029.

Hazlina Ahmad, N., Ramayah, T., Wilson, C., & Kummerow, L. (2010). Is entrepreneurial competency and business success relationship contingent upon business environment? A study of Malaysian SMEs. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 16(3), 182-203. https://doi.org/10.1108/13552551011042780.

Hettiarachchi, B. D., Brandenburg, M., & Seuring, S. (2022). Connecting additive manufacturing to circular economy implementation strategies: Links, contingencies and causal loops. International Journal of Production Economics, 246, 108414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2022.108414.

Hussain, M., Rasool, S. F., Xuetong, W., Asghar, M. Z., & Alalshiekh, A. S. A. (2023). Investigating the nexus between critical success factors, supportive leadership, and entrepreneurial success: evidence from the renewable energy projects. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(17), 49255-49269. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-25743-w.

John, O. P. (1990). The" Big Five" factor taxonomy: Dimensions of personality in the natural language and in questionnaires. Handbook of personality: Theory and research. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1574231875296300672.

Kar, B., & Ahmed, Y. A. (2019). Personality, challenges and performance: Evidence from Ethiopia’s young entrepreneurs. SEDME (Small Enterprises Development, Management & Extension Journal), 46(2), 117-129. https://doi.org/10.1177/0970846419852497.

Kirchherr, J., Reike, D., & Hekkert, M. (2017). Conceptualizing the circular economy: An analysis of 114 definitions. Resources, conservation and recycling, 127, 221-232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.09.005.

Konietzko, J., Bocken, N., & Hultink, E. J. (2020). Circular ecosystem innovation: An initial set of principles. Journal of Cleaner Production, 253, 119942. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119942.

Lans, T., Blok, V., & Wesselink, R. (2014). Learning apart and together: towards an integrated competence framework for sustainable entrepreneurship in higher education. Journal of Cleaner Production, 62, 37-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.03.036.

Lechner, C. M., Sortheix, F. M., Obschonka, M., & Salmela-Aro, K. (2018). What drives future business leaders? How work values and gender shape young adults' entrepreneurial and leadership aspirations. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 107, 57-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2018.03.004.

Martínez-Pérez, Á., Elche, D., & García-Villaverde, P. M. (2019). From diversity of interorganizational relationships to radical innovation in tourism destinations: The role of knowledge exploration. Journal of destination marketing & management, 11, 80-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2018.12.002.

McCrae, R. R., & Costa Jr, P. T. (1994). The stability of personality: Observations and evaluations. Current directions in psychological science, 3(6), 173-175. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.ep10770693.

Newman, A., Obschonka, M., Moeller, J., & Chandan, G. G. (2021). Entrepreneurial passion: A review, synthesis, and agenda for future research. Applied Psychology, 70(2), 816-860. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12236.

Obschonka, M., Moeller, J., & Goethner, M. (2019). Entrepreneurial passion and personality: the case of academic entrepreneurship. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 2697. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02697.

Obschonka, M., Silbereisen, R. K., & Schmitt-Rodermund, E. (2011). Successful entrepreneurship as developmental outcome. European Psychologist, 16(3), 174–186. https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000075.

Pagano, A., Petrucci, F., & Bocconcelli, R. (2018). A business network perspective on unconventional entrepreneurship: A case from the cultural sector. Journal of Business Research, 92, 455–464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.07.012.

Potting, J., Hekkert, M. P., Worrell, E., & Hanemaaijer, A. (2017). Circular economy: measuring innovation in the product chain. Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving, (2544). https://www.pbl.nl/en/publications/circular-economy-measuring-innovation-in-product-chains.

Qureshi, J. A. (2020). Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Ownership: Entrepreneurial Behaviour of Employees in SMEs in Pakistan. Pacific Business Review International, 13(3), 156-170. http://www.pbr.co.in/2020/September15.aspx.

Ren, D., & Xu, H. (2022). Influence of entrepreneurial ambidextrous leadership on ambidextrous innovation: An integrated model construction of ‘cognitive/affective’ composite perspective in Chinese context. Human Systems Management, 41(4), 435-452. https://doi.org/10.3233/HSM-210004.

Richter, U. H. (2011). Drivers of change: A multiple-case study on the process of institutionalization of corporate responsibility among three multinational companies. Journal of Business Ethics, 102, 261-279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-0811-3.

Rok, B., & Kulik, M. (2021). Circular start-up development: the case of positive impact entrepreneurship in Poland. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, 21(2), 339-358. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-01-2020-0043.

Ryan, J. C., Tipu, S. A., & Zeffane, R. M. (2011). Need for achievement and entrepreneurial potential: a study of young adults in the UAE. Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, 4(3), 153-166. https://doi.org/10.1108/17537981111159948.

Sawe, F. B., Kumar, A., Garza‐Reyes, J. A., & Agrawal, R. (2021). Assessing people‐driven factors for circular economy practices in small and medium‐sized enterprise supply chains: Business strategies and environmental perspectives. Business Strategy and the Environment, 30(7), 2951-2965. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2781.

Schaltegger, S., & Wagner, M. (2011). Sustainable entrepreneurship and sustainability innovation: categories and interactions. Business strategy and the environment, 20(4), 222-237. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.682.

Sharma, S., & Sahni, S. P. (2020). World of male and female entrepreneurs: Findings from a global study. Strategic Change, 29(6), 725-736. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsc.2377.

Sönmez, Ö. F., & Bozdoğan, K. (2020). Bibliometric analysis of values education researches based on web of science database. International Journal of Education Technology and Scientific Researches, 5(13), 1543-1577. http://dx.doi.org/10.35826/ijetsar.165.

Suchek, N., Ferreira, J. J., & Fernandes, P. O. (2022). A review of entrepreneurship and circular economy research: State of the art and future directions. Business Strategy and the Environment, 31(5), 2256-2283. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3020.

Vodă, A. I., & Florea, N. (2019). Impact of personality traits and entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intentions of business and engineering students. Sustainability, 11(4), 1192. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041192.

Wang, B., Pan, S. Y., Ke, R. Y., Wang, K., & Wei, Y. M. (2014). An overview of climate change vulnerability: a bibliometric analysis based on Web of Science database. Natural hazards, 74, 1649-1666. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-014-1260-y.

Welch, C., R. Piekkari, E. Plakoyiannaki, and Paavilainen-Mäntymäki, E. 2011. Theorizing from Case Studies: Towards a Pluralist Future for International Business Research. Journal of International Business Studies 42 (5): 740–762. https://doi.org/10.1057/jibs.2010.55.

Welter, F., Baker, T., Audretsch, D. B., & Gartner, W. B. (2017). Everyday entrepreneurship—a call for entrepreneurship research to embrace entrepreneurial diversity. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 41(3), 311-321. https://doi.org/10.1111/etap.12258.

Xie, X., Lv, J., & Xu, Y. (2018). The Role of the Entrepreneurial Personality in New Ventures. In A. Tur Porcar & D. Ribeiro Soriano (A c. Di), Inside the Mind of the Entrepreneur, 91-108. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62455-6_7.

Zeffane, R. (2013). Need for achievement, personality and entrepreneurial potential: A study of young adults in the United Arab Emirates. Journal of Enterprising Culture, 21(01), 75-105. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0218495813500040.

Zhang, Z., Zyphur, M. J., Narayanan, J., Arvey, R. D., Chaturvedi, S., Avolio, B. J., ... & Larsson, G. (2009). The genetic basis of entrepreneurship: Effects of gender and personality. Organizational behavior and human decision processes, 110(2), 93-107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2009.07.002.

Zhu, F., Sun, S., & Sun, M. (2020). Influence of entrepreneurs' personality and personal characteristics on new venture performance: A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 48(12), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.9199.

Zucchella, A., & Urban, S. (2019). Circular entrepreneurship: Creating responsible enterprise. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18999-0.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) 2024 Alessandra De Chiara, Sofia Mauro, Anna D'Auria, Luigi Sergianni