Social support, individual differences and well‐being: A study of small business entrepreneurs and employees

Abstract

This study examined the relationships between social support and personality factors as moderators of stress arising from demands in the workplace. Data on personal, demographic and job characteristics as well as measures of individual traits, social support and psychological well‐being were collected from a sample of 117 entrepreneurs and employees. The results showed significant differences in the work patterns and personality characteristics between the two occupational groups but no differences in well‐being were found. Extraversion and need achievement jointly predicted perceived support with interpersonal control being the strongest predictor. Extraverts and internals reported the highest levels of interpersonal support compared with introverts and externals. Overall, the findings provide evidence for the buffering role of social support. The importance of broadening the concept of social support to include individual differences in future research is emphasized.