Once you know this information, what other entrepreneurial personality types do you fit into?.Then, go to The Entrepreneur Next Door at to take the Entrepreneurial Personality Test to find your personality type. Review Bill Wagner’s article “What’s Your Entrepreneurial Personality Type?” in Entrepreneur at this link. Completing coursework, such as reading this textbook, and reviewing the suggested resources provided within this textbook are actions that can support your knowledge and awareness of entrepreneurship as a valid option for your future. Firsthand experiences occur throughout our days and lives as we gain relevant experiences and as we develop a mindset to seek out opportunity-recognition behaviors.

Once you determine that entrepreneurship is in your future, the next action is to establish a process to follow, such as identifying useful reading materials, attending classes or workshops, finding a mentor, or learning by doing through simulations or firsthand experiences. You can unite your natural talents and abilities with training and development to achieve a well-rounded entrepreneurial experience and outcome. 14 Although “ nature versus nurture” and “ born versus made” are parallel arguments, researchers and experienced entrepreneurs suggest a combined viewpoint. Shane determined that entrepreneurs are about 40 percent born and 60 percent made, meaning that nature-that is, an individual’s DNA-is responsible for 40 percent of entrepreneurial behaviors, whereas nurture is responsible for about 60 percent of entrepreneurial behaviors. Scott Shane, a professor of entrepreneurial studies at Case Western Reserve University, codirected a study using identical twins and fraternal twins as the research subjects. The focus of the aspects of this argument changed when late-nineteenth-century psychologists sought to understand how individuals obtain knowledge, and as modern psychologists concentrated on additional factors such as intelligence, personality, and mental illness. Kant firmly believed that obedience was the expected and desired behavior, whereas Locke believed in allowing some degree of freedom and creativity. During the eighteenth-century Enlightenment period, Immanuel Kant (1724–1824 supported the supremacy of human reason) and John Locke (1632–1704 opposed authoritarianism) argued their views.

In classical Greece, Plato supported the nature argument, whereas Aristotle believed in the nurture perspective. This debate has been around for centuries. Are entrepreneurs born or made? That is, are some people born with the natural skills, talent, and temperament to pursue entrepreneurship? Or can you develop entrepreneurship skills through training, education, and experience? These questions reflect the classic debates known as “nature versus nurture” or “born versus made,” which attempt to explain the determinants of a person’s personality and character. Scholars of business and entrepreneurship have long debated how people become entrepreneurs.

Understand the nine stages of the entrepreneurial life cycle.

Describe the evolution of entrepreneurship through American historical periods.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

Venture forthe discipline levels