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The concept of Fear of Success is defined and its correlates identified. The role of family interactions and culture in the development of Fear and Success is also examined. Methods of coping with Fear of Success in terms of both the individual and the organisation are discussed.

In the present era, entrepreneurs’ well-being is considered a significant factor owing to its strong relationship with entrepreneurship. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship between fear of failure and entrepreneurs’ well-being through the mediating effect of procrastination.

This study is descriptive, with cross-sectional data obtained through a survey questionnaire distributed randomly in Pakistan. Overall, data from 346 valid cases were used to achieve suitable study outcomes.

This study’s empirical findings highlight the negative effect of fear of failure on subjective well-being. Fear of failure is found to have a significant positive effect on procrastination. Furthermore, procrastination has a negative effect on subjective well-being. Finally, procrastination has a negative role in mediating the relationship between fear of failure and subjective well-being.

The conceptualization of the fear of failure and procrastination (direct and indirect) in relation to subjective well-being may offer a novel contribution in terms of a framework, policymaking and practice. Policymakers, top management and the government may consider the hindering effects of procrastination and fear of failure on entrepreneurs’ well-being and ventures’ success. The study findings may also enrich views in the literature on entrepreneurship and management, particularly in the developing country context.

This study could be helpful in eradicating the traps of procrastination and fear of failure, raising entrepreneurs’ confidence and levels of activity.

This research was designed to investigate what differences might exist between graduating African American and White business students regarding achievement motivation as determined by their fear of success and fear of appearing incompetent and whether there exists any moderating influence based upon their attitude toward the role of women in society. The sample consisted of 99 African American students and 102 White students. African Americans scored significantly lower than Whites on the Fear of Appearing Incompetent Scale. Likewise, African American women scored significantly lower than white women on this scale. No differences were found in the scores among African American Males and White males on the Fear of Appearing Incompetent Scale. For the entire sample, those with a progressive view of women scored higher on the Fear of Success Scale than those with traditional views of women. Achievement motivation among the groups of respondents is also evaluated.

Social cognitive theory suggests that entrepreneurs' characteristics affect entrepreneurial outcomes through interaction with their environment. This study examines the relationship between entrepreneurs' characteristics and performance in the context of entrepreneurial nascence.

This study investigated lagged-panel responses from a sample of 100 confirmed nascent entrepreneurs. Data collected on three separate occasions included core self-evaluations, commitment, fear of failure and success. PLS analysis was used to assess mediation of commitment on the self-evaluation – success relationship.

Core self-evaluations are an important predictor of entrepreneurial success in nascent-stage entrepreneurs participating in pre-venture assistance programs; positively affecting success and commitment, while negatively affecting fear of failure.

This investigation contributes to a fuller understanding of social cognitive theory as it pertains to nascent entrepreneurship. Furthermore, contrary to general expectations found in the entrepreneurship literature, the authors uncover a context where entrepreneurs' characteristics are relevant predictors of early entrepreneurial outcomes.

Results showed core self-evaluations as a robust predictor of perceived success in nascent entrepreneurs. Administrators of pre-venture assistance programs should consider screening applicants to programs designed to assist nascent entrepreneurial opportunity development for signs of high core self-evaluations.

This study advances theory by (1) demonstrating the value of assessing nascent entrepreneurs' core self-evaluations as a specific predictor of early-stage entrepreneurial outcomes, (2) suggesting social interaction amidst participation in pre-venture assistance programs makes commitment a salient part of perceived success and (3) providing evidence that entrepreneur-level characteristics need consideration in the context of nascent entrepreneurship and pre-venture assistance programs.

The use of reinforcement and punishment have been studied extensively in laboratory and organizational settings. It has been found that positive reinforcement is the most effective way to achieve the required behavior. Many theories and models have been developed in order to explain the relationship between punishment and fear and it has been found that these are correlated. The use of punishment and fear in the organizational setting has proved to be ineffective and undesirable. Managers must try to create an environment and climate where employees can express their full potential and respond to difficult challenges by letting go of fear of failure, fear of change, or fear of risk taking. Human resource management offers some alternatives and programs to assist in executing this task.

The aim of this paper is to challenge the person‐related aspect of the stereotype that older employees are unmotivated. In an overall model, it seeks to examine how age, perceived age discrimination, and perceived organizational support relate to each other and how they affect the achievement motives' hope of success and fear of failure.

Data were collected in six large German enterprises using a standardized questionnaire. The sample included 631 older employees aged 50 to 64 and 624 younger employees aged 30 to 40. For the data analysis, PLS structural equation modeling was used.

The results showed that older employees were more strongly affected by age discrimination than their younger colleagues. Perceived age discrimination, in turn, led to less perceived organizational support and a higher fear of failure. Age, in contrast, was not substantially related to achievement motives. Thus, the stereotype of unmotivated older employees is not justified.

The findings outline the central role of perceived age discrimination. Thus, with an increasingly aging workforce, organizations have to amplify their anti‐discrimination efforts by applying suitable human resource management and leadership practices.

This paper contributes to the literature by challenging a stereotype common in Western societies and examining the achievement motives of older employees. Moreover, it tries to shed light on the organization's role regarding the perception of discriminating and non‐supporting environments.

Notes that because oral histories illuminate insider meanings, they can contribute valuable insights to the demystification of expert experiences. The world of expert entrepreneurs is often misunderstood because of its sensationalization and/or idealization. Sets out to narrow the gap between mythical and actual entrepreneur through the use of the qualitative analysis of entrepreneur oral histories. Analyses in‐depth interviews with 23 practising western US entrepreneurs about their venturing histories to identify the common “stories” and shared interpretations that form parts of the entrepreneurial “expert scripts” that explain responses to successes and failures. Salient portions of the histories cited contribute to sound attributions regarding entrepreneurial success and failure and to a more enlightened approach to venture creation.

The concept of Fear of Success is defined and its correlates identified. The role of family interactions and culture in the development of Fear and Success is also examined. Methods of coping with Fear of Success in terms of both the individual and the organisation are discussed.

Organizational behavior scholars have long recognized the importance of a variety of emotion-related phenomena in everyday work life. Indeed, after three decades, the span of research on emotions in the workplace encompasses a wide variety of affective variables such as emotional climate, emotional labor, emotion regulation, positive and negative affect, empathy, and more recently, specific emotions. Emotions operate in complex ways across multiple levels of analysis (i.e., within-person, between-person, interpersonal, group, and organizational) to exert influence on work behavior and outcomes, but their linkages to human resource management (HRM) policies and practices have not always been explicit or well understood. This chapter offers a review and integration of the bourgeoning research on discrete positive and negative emotions, offering insights about why these emotions are relevant to HRM policies and practices. We review some of the dominant theories that have emerged out of functionalist perspectives on emotions, connecting these to a strategic HRM framework. We then define and describe four discrete positive and negative emotions (fear, pride, guilt, and interest) highlighting how they relate to five HRM practices: (1) selection, (2) training/learning, (3) performance management, (4) incentives/rewards, and (5) employee voice. Following this, we discuss the emotion perception and regulation implications of these and other discrete emotions for leaders and HRM managers. We conclude with some challenges associated with understanding discrete emotions in organizations as well as some opportunities and future directions for improving our appreciation and understanding of the role of discrete emotional experiences in HRM.

The recent economic recession has led many organizations to downsize, or eliminate positions, in an effort to cut labor costs and improve profitability. Survivors may suddenly find themselves over-rewarded, or prematurely promoted, into one or more vacant positions. One negative consequence of over-reward in particular, impostor phenomenon, may present significant challenges at both the individual and organizational level. Thus, the purpose of this chapter is to examine the consequences and coping strategies of survivors who perceive themselves as over-rewarded and under-qualified for a job. Hobfoll's Conservation of Resources Theory (COR) serves as this study's framework to explicate the outcomes associated with impostor feelings and how impostors cope with their perceived inadequacy. Specifically, we propose that impostor feelings will be positively related to emotional exhaustion. To deal with the exhaustion, impostors may rely on coping strategies in order to master the additional internal and external demands created by feelings of impostorism. The type of strategy used by impostors to cope with the exhaustion is influenced by the level of perceived social support. That is, impostors who perceive higher levels of support will resort to active coping while those who perceive lower levels of support will resort to avoidant coping. Managerial implications and directions for future research are offered.