These two dark personality traits are significant predictors of entrepreneurial spirit

A new study published in Acta Psychologica provides evidence that specific personality traits, including narcissism and psychopathy, are significant predictors of entrepreneurial tendencies in adults. The findings suggest that an individual’s employment status and distinct personality profiles account for a substantial portion of the variation in their propensity for entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship is frequently viewed through the lens of economic activity, such as starting a business or generating employment. Psychologists increasingly recognize it as a multidimensional phenomenon involving the identification and exploitation of opportunities. This perspective treats entrepreneurialism as a stable personality trait rather than merely an occupational choice.

This distinction is significant because it suggests that entrepreneurial potential exists in individuals who may not currently own a business. The study of these latent tendencies helps scientists understand the psychological makeup of those who are likely to innovate and create value. Previous models have largely relied on general personality frameworks to explain these behaviors.

The Big Five personality model has been the standard for much of this research. This model assesses traits such as extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. While these traits provide a baseline for understanding human behavior, they may not capture the full picture of the entrepreneurial mindset.

Less is known about how malevolent personality traits influence entrepreneurial spirit. Traits known as the Dark Triad—narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy—share characteristics with entrepreneurship. These shared qualities often include risk-taking, a high need for achievement, and a desire for control and autonomy.

Narcissism is characterized by grandiosity, dominance, and a sense of entitlement. Psychopathy involves high impulsivity, low empathy, and thrill-seeking behavior. Machiavellianism refers to a strategic and manipulative style of social interaction focused on self-interest.

“We wanted to address a gap in the literature by studying entrepreneurial tendencies from an individual differences perspective, rather than just comparing entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs,” said study author M. Inmaculada López-Núñez, an associate professor and director of the Entrepreneurship Office at Complutense University of Madrid.

“While the Big Five traits are well studied, much less is known about the role of the Dark Triad and about how being self-employed relates to these tendencies. Our goal was to integrate personality and occupational status into a more comprehensive model.”

The research team recruited a sample of 591 adult workers from Spain to participate in the study. The participants ranged in age from 26 to 76 years, with an average age of approximately 45. Women made up about 60 percent of the group.

Regarding employment, the sample included salaried employees, self-employed individuals, and those who were unemployed or studying. Specifically, 14.6 percent of the participants identified as self-employed. The majority, 64.3 percent, were employed in salaried positions.

To measure the central variable of interest, the researchers used the Measure of Entrepreneurial Tendencies and Abilities. This tool assesses stable patterns of thought and behavior related to innovation and opportunity recognition. It asks respondents to rate their agreement with statements about spotting business opportunities and generating ideas.

Personality was evaluated using the Ten-Item Personality Inventory for the Big Five traits. This brief measure provides scores for extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience. It is designed to capture the core dimensions of personality efficiently.

To assess malevolent traits, participants completed the Dirty Dozen scale. This instrument asks respondents to rate their agreement with statements reflecting manipulative or grandiose behaviors. It provides specific scores for narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.

The analysis revealed that demographic variables, employment status, and personality traits combined to explain roughly 41 percent of the variance in entrepreneurial tendencies. This represents a strong predictive model in the context of psychological research. Several demographic factors emerged as significant predictors.

Being male was associated with higher levels of entrepreneurial potential. Being younger also predicted higher scores on the entrepreneurial tendencies measure. These findings align with some prior research regarding gender and age differences in risk-taking and business creation.

Employment status also played a clear role in the results. Individuals who were already self-employed scored significantly higher on the measure of entrepreneurial tendencies compared to those in other employment categories. This supports the idea that self-employment may serve as a valid behavioral indicator of an underlying entrepreneurial personality.

Regarding general personality traits, openness to experience proved to be the strongest predictor. Individuals who are open to new experiences tend to be more creative and willing to explore novel ideas. This trait is logically consistent with the innovation required in entrepreneurship.

Conscientiousness also showed a positive association with entrepreneurial tendencies. This trait involves organization, discipline, and goal-directed behavior. It suggests that the drive to turn ideas into reality requires a degree of diligent effort and planning.

Extraversion was another significant positive predictor. Entrepreneurs often need to network, pitch ideas, and lead teams. The sociability and energy associated with extraversion likely facilitate these necessary business activities.

A primary focus of the study was the influence of the Dark Triad. The results indicated that narcissism and psychopathy were positive predictors of entrepreneurial tendencies. Narcissism emerged as a particularly strong predictor in the final statistical model.

The influence of narcissism remained significant even when controlling for the Big Five traits. This indicates that the grandiose and dominant aspects of narcissism provide unique explanatory power.

Psychopathy also predicted entrepreneurial tendencies, though to a lesser extent than narcissism. The impulsivity and fearlessness associated with psychopathy might aid in the high-stakes decision-making often found in business ventures. Machiavellianism, while correlated, did not remain a significant predictor in the final regression model.

“We found it especially interesting that narcissism and psychopathy still predicted entrepreneurial tendencies even after controlling for the Big Five traits,” López-Núñez told PsyPost. “This suggests that these dark traits are not just minor or redundant, but add unique information to our understanding of entrepreneurial personality.”

The study provides evidence that the “dark side” of personality is not entirely maladaptive in the context of entrepreneurship. Characteristics that are socially undesirable in many contexts may function as assets when identifying and exploiting business opportunities. This highlights the complexity of the entrepreneurial personality.

These results suggest that the entrepreneurial profile is a mix of socially positive and negative traits. High openness and conscientiousness are generally viewed as positive assets. However, they appear to work in tandem with darker traits like narcissism to form the entrepreneurial disposition.

“Entrepreneurial potential is not just about skills or having a good idea, but is also linked to stable personality traits,” López-Núñez explained. “People who are more open, conscientious, and somewhat more extraverted — and also those higher in narcissism — tend to show stronger entrepreneurial tendencies. Being self-employed is not only a consequence of entrepreneurship, but is also associated with having this disposition.”

The study relies on cross-sectional data, which prevents the establishment of causal relationships between personality traits and entrepreneurial behaviors. It is possible that engaging in entrepreneurship influences personality just as personality influences career choices. The reliance on self-reported measures also introduces the possibility of response bias.

The cultural context of the study was limited to a Spanish population. While this expands research beyond English-speaking samples, it may limit the generalizability to other cultures. Different economic or cultural environments might value different traits in entrepreneurs.

The researchers note that finding links with dark traits does not imply these traits are necessary for success. The study measured tendencies and potential rather than long-term business performance or ethical conduct. It remains unclear how these dark traits affect the longevity or social responsibility of a business.

Future research could benefit from longitudinal designs to track how these traits evolve and influence career paths over time. The researchers also suggest investigating the cognitive mechanisms that link personality to entrepreneurial actions.

“We want to move beyond personality traits and focus more directly on the entrepreneurial mindset, especially on cognitive processes such as how people process information, detect opportunities, and make decisions,” López-Núñez said. “We are also interested in whether there are sensitive periods in life when this mindset can be more easily identified or activated. Ultimately, our goal is to better understand the cognitive mechanisms behind entrepreneurial tendencies, which are still much less studied.”

“We believe that thinking of entrepreneurship as an individual-differences trait, rather than just a job status, offers a richer way to understand why some people are more inclined to follow entrepreneurial paths than others.”

The study, “Individual differences in entrepreneurial tendencies: The impact of self-employment and the Dark Triad,” was authored by M. Inmaculada López-Núñez, Sara Esteban-Gonzalo, Teresa Diéguez-Risco, and Juan F. Díaz-Morales.