Influence of the individual characteristics and personality traits of the founder on the performance of family SMEs

Abstract

The main aim of this study is to investigate the influence of the individual characteristics and personality traits of the founder on the performance of family SMEs. To achieve this goal, a questionnaire was constructed, covering the socio-demographic (individual) characteristics of the entrepreneur and an individual's personality traits through five dimensions (Big-Five): extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience. To measure performance, an already validated scale was also used, including two fundamental dimensions: business and family. 123 questionnaires from family SMEs were validated. Results show that the individual characteristics (age, gender and academic qualifications) of the founder do not influence the performance of family SMEs. As for the personality traits of the founder, only extraversion, conscientiousness and openness to experience are found to have a positive influence on performance, while neuroticism has a negative influence on performance. Some implications for theory and practice are also presented.