Exploring the Influence of Potential Entrepreneurs’ Personality Traits on Small Venture Creation: The Case of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This study examined the impact of selected personality traits—innovativeness, internal locus of control, need for achievement and propensity to take risks—on the entrepreneurial intention of Saudi students (young entrepreneurs). The study sample included 165 students from an applied college affiliated with King Faisal University. The participants completed an online self-administered questionnaire, the data from which were analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method. The findings revealed that the characteristics of innovativeness, internal locus of control and propensity to take risks had a positive relationship with entrepreneurial intention. However, the need for achievement had no relationship with entrepreneurial intention. The study model predicted approximately 25% of the total variance in entrepreneurial intention. It is recommended that in future studies, the sample size should be increased and the scope of the study should be broadened.