Entrepreneurial Environments and the Emergence of Achievement Motivation in Adolescent Males

Abstract

Previous research has traced high need for achievement among adolescent males to certain socialization experiences in the family. Other research has demonstrated that adolescents with high need-achievement are over-represented in the middle classes. From these findings, it can be assumed that there is something about the middle classes which affects family socialization in ways conducive to high achievement motivation. Among the many variables associated with social class, the nature of a father's occupation seems to be the most likely to have this affect on family socialization. The present study examines the relationship between the nature of father's occupation and the level of achievement motivation among sons. Results indicate that adolescents with high need-achievement come from homes where fathers engage in entrepreneurial role behavior in their occupational status. This is found to be true regardless of whether or not such an occupation is middle class or working class, or whether the community where the subject lives is highly modern or traditional. These findings are seen as specifying more exactly the social structural origins of achievement motivation.