Psychological characteristics of entrepreneurs working in stress-related conditions

Abstract

The relevance of the study is due to the growth of stress-related conditions of entrepreneurs’ activity in Ukraine in 2020-2023. The purpose of the study is to highlight the results of an examination of emotional intelligence, psychosocial stress, and character accentuations of entrepreneurs working in stress-related conditions. Among the key research methods is the psychosocial stress scale of L. Reeder, emotional intelligence test questionnaire of N. Hall, definition of character accentuations of Leonhard – H. Schmieschek. The professional activities of 90 entrepreneurs in the conditions of COVID-19 and 90 entrepreneurs in the conditions of war in the period 2021-2023 were examined. In both groups, the established high level of emotional intelligence was characterised by the ability to be aware of emotions and feelings, the average – by the potential for development, and the low required development. A strong correlation was identified between “emotional awareness” and “recognition of other people’s emotions”, which characterised restraint in the manifestation of emotions. Entrepreneurs working in war conditions were identified to have a reduced ability to manage emotions and low self-motivation. It was identified that psychosocial stress was manifested by psychosomatic complaints and impulsive decisions, aggressiveness, intolerance to the opinions of others, and anger. A high level of stress was accompanied by a deterioration in concentration, memory, and performance. It is proved that the tendency to accentuation due to provocative emotional factors increased to accentuation, and pedantry, hyperthymicity, emotionality create the basis for conflicts. It was determined that the pathogenetic path of conflict development was evasion as a specific social behaviour in stress-associated conditions of activity, and ignoring the problem was the basic behaviour in conflict with the desire to avoid acute situations and decisions ‒ “tactics of presence without signs of active intervention”. Two types of accentuations associated with the negative impact on the emotional intelligence of businessmen were identified: getting stuck or dysthymia in the first group, which worked during COVID-19, and the dominance of anxious and emotional traits in the second group, members of which had to work in war conditions. It is noted that in both groups, entrepreneurial activity was characterised as “rather dysfunctional and unsatisfactory”. The practical importance of the study lies in the ability to consider the identified psychological characteristics in providing assistance to entrepreneurs working in stress-related conditions.