Is the tendency to engage in entrepreneurship genetic?

• 成果类型: Review
• 署名作者: Nicolaou, Nicos; Shane, Scott; Cherkas, Lynn; Hunkin, Janice; Spector, Tim D.
• 署名单位: University of Cyprus; University System of Ohio; Case Western Reserve University; University of London; King's College London
• 刊物名称: MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0025-1909
• DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.1070.0761
• 发表日期: 2008
• 页码: 167-179
• 关键词: Entrepreneurship; twin studies; Behavioral genetics

摘要

We used quantitative genetics techniques to compare the entrepreneurial activity of 870 pairs of monozygotic (MZ) and 857 pairs of same-sex dizygotic (DZ) twins from the United Kingdom. We ran model-fitting analyses to estimate the genetic, shared environmental and nonshared environmental effects on the propensity of people to become entrepreneurs. We found relatively high heritabilities for entrepreneurship across different operationalizations of the phenomenon, with little effect of family environment and upbringing. Our findings suggest the importance of considering genetic factors in explanations for why people engage in entrepreneurial activity.