Search results

1 – 10 of over 20000
Book part
Publication date: 31 July 2012

Vincent K. Chong and Dashini Thavanayagam

This study aims to partially replicate and extend prior escalation of commitment (e.g., Harrell & Harrison, 1994; Harrison & Harrell, 1993). It extends prior studies by examining…

Abstract

This study aims to partially replicate and extend prior escalation of commitment (e.g., Harrell & Harrison, 1994; Harrison & Harrell, 1993). It extends prior studies by examining the impact of risk propensity on managers’ project evaluation decisions. In addition, the study examines the joint effects of private information, potential for personal gain, and risk propensity on managers’ project evaluation decisions. A laboratory experiment involving 146 subjects was conducted to test the various hypotheses developed for this study. The results are consistent with prior studies, suggesting that managers exhibit a greater tendency to continue unprofitable projects under conditions of private information and potential for personal gain. Furthermore, the results reveal that managers with high risk propensity exhibit a greater tendency to commit additional resources to unprofitable projects than those with low risk propensity. The results support the proposition that high risk propensity managers who experience conditions of private information and potential for personal gain exhibit a greater tendency to commit additional resources to unprofitable projects than low risk propensity managers who experience only one or neither of these conditions.

Details

Advances in Management Accounting
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78190-105-2

Article
Publication date: 1 February 1997

Amy L. Pablo

Reports on a study that examines a model of risk behaviour in which the effects of risk propensity and problem framing are jointly evaluated. Managers from 58 oil industry…

2104

Abstract

Reports on a study that examines a model of risk behaviour in which the effects of risk propensity and problem framing are jointly evaluated. Managers from 58 oil industry organizations were presented with hypothetical business decisions involving significant gains and losses, and asked to choose between action alternatives resulting in certain outcomes or probabilistic outcomes. Also evaluates the notion that tendencies towards risk taking are complex, reflecting personality traits, habits and experience. There was support for a historical basis for risk propensity, but risk preferences were not found to be influential. Further, although both risk propensity and problem framing were found to be significant predictors of risk behaviour, there was no support for prospect theory predictions. For researchers, suggests the need to incorporate individual differences into models of risk behaviour. For organizations, suggests the need for management attention to members’ risk experiences.

Details

Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 12 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-3946

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 May 2011

Desislava Ivanova Yordanova and Matilda Ivanova Alexandrova‐Boshnakova

The research objective of the study is to investigate the gender effects on risk propensity, risk perception, and risk behaviour of entrepreneurs distinguishing between direct and…

3446

Abstract

Purpose

The research objective of the study is to investigate the gender effects on risk propensity, risk perception, and risk behaviour of entrepreneurs distinguishing between direct and indirect gender effects. The study seeks to address the gap in the knowledge of the link between risk taking, risk propensity, and risk perception in the context of women and risk (Brindley).

Design/methodology/approach

Based on Sitkin and Pablo's model of risk behaviour and the literature on cognitive factors as determinants of risk perception, the paper provides hypotheses about the link between gender, risk perception, risk propensity, and risk behaviour. The proposed hypotheses are tested on a sample of 382 Bulgarian entrepreneurs.

Findings

Although female and male entrepreneurs have similar risk perceptions, female entrepreneurs are likely to have a lower risk propensity than male entrepreneurs. Risk propensity mediates completely the effect of gender on risk behaviour. The effect of gender on risk propensity is mediated partially by risk preference, outcome history, and age. Gender has an indirect effect on risk perception via overconfidence and risk propensity.

Research limitations/implications

The paper's ability to draw causal inferences is limited by the cross‐sectional nature of the study. The results may not be applicable to other countries and occupations.

Practical implications

The findings help to clarify the reasons for gender differences in risk behaviour and risk propensity of entrepreneurs and to design behavioural interventions.

Originality/value

This paper is an attempt to create a better understanding of the factors that account for gender differences in risk taking.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 March 2020

Jindrich Spicka

Risk attitude is an elementary attribute of entrepreneurial behaviour. Determinants of risk-taking propensity have been widely investigated in the group of entrepreneurs and…

Abstract

Purpose

Risk attitude is an elementary attribute of entrepreneurial behaviour. Determinants of risk-taking propensity have been widely investigated in the group of entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs so far. There is a lack of evidence on determinants of risk-taking propensity in the farming business, which is considered as risky business because of the ongoing climate change and epidemic outbreaks. Alternatively, the risk of lower European Union budget raised the question, how to implement publicly supported financial instruments for micro and small farmers which have lower credit rating. The purpose of this study is to find socio-demographic determinants of the risk-taking propensity of the Czech micro farms, controlling for the type of farming.

Design/methodology/approach

The survey of 747 micro farmers was processed through ordinal logistic regression. The study is based on the subjective self-assessment of the risk-taking behaviour which is frequently used to measure risk-taking attitude. The results are representative from the type of farming point of view.

Findings

The model provided clear evidence that age, household size, living with the partner/wife/husband and level of education have a significant relationship with risk-taking propensity. The most risk-tolerant farmers are young with less formal education and living in small households. The risk-taking propensity varies by the type of farming. Specialized crop farms have significantly higher risk-taking propensity than farms with a substantial share of livestock production. Alternatively, gender, feeling about household income and religion are not significantly related to the risk-taking propensity of the Czech micro farms.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of the study is the number of explanatory variables and the use of self-assessment of risk-taking attitude. The risk attitude can be explained by other variables which require in-depth qualitative research, such as past risk experience, the structure of decision problems, market orientation and operation under subsistence conditions.

Practical implications

The significant determinants of risk-taking attitude of micro farmers are important for banks, the Czech Support and Guarantee Fund for Farmers and Forestry and for policymakers who design the rules for post-2020 common agricultural policy. The study is original and valuable for the Central and Eastern European countries’ implementation of financial instruments as new rules for investment support are being prepared and research on the risk-taking attitude of the most vulnerable segment of farmers has not been conducted.

Originality/value

The originality of this study is from the perspective of agricultural sector as well as from the micro farms point of view. The results have commercial and political implications. Younger farmers, singles and lower-educated farmers have significantly higher risk-taking propensity and can be potentially risky clients for banks. Such farmers represent the financial gap in the credit market, and their viable development projects could be subject for implementation of financial instruments co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development in the forthcoming programming period past 2020.

Details

Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2053-4604

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 October 2019

Ahmad Rashid and Halim Boussabiane

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the existing project management literature by conceptualizing the influence of personality and cognitive traits on project managers’ risk

1103

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the existing project management literature by conceptualizing the influence of personality and cognitive traits on project managers’ risk-taking behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on an in-depth analysis of the existing literature to develop framework for conceptualizing risk propensity in project management.

Findings

The results indicate that the Big Five personality traits cannot capture risk propensity in risk-taking behaviour on their own. Cognitive traits are indispensable components in risk propensity.

Research limitations/implications

The paper examines the association between risk propensity theories and personality traits. The paper framed project managers’ personality traits that can impact their tendency to take risky decisions, that is risk propensity.

Originality/value

This paper expands literature by increasing our understanding of personality and cognitive traits in risk propensity.

Details

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8378

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 January 2015

Yong Qiang Chen, Su Juan Zhang, Li Sha Liu and Jia Hu

Making the right bid/no-bid decision is critical to the success and development of construction contracting enterprises. Decision makers’ personal characteristics, such as risk

2164

Abstract

Purpose

Making the right bid/no-bid decision is critical to the success and development of construction contracting enterprises. Decision makers’ personal characteristics, such as risk perception and propensity, have great impact on bid/no-bid decisions, which is the major concern of this research. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship among decision makers’ risk perception, risk propensity, and their bid/no-bid decision making of construction projects, as well as the factors influencing the risk perception and propensity.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, four hypotheses were proposed based on an extensive literature review. Experimental questionnaires were distributed to employees working in Chinese construction contracting enterprises with knowledge of construction bidding, and 134 valid questionnaires were obtained. Multivariate statistical analysis through SPSS 19.0 was used to analyze the acquired data.

Findings

Data analysis shows that in the context of international construction contracting: risk perception has a negative influence on bid/no-bid decision making; while risk propensity produces a positive influence and the probability and magnitude of potential gain or loss both have significant impacts on risk perception, and the probability plays a more important role.

Originality/value

This research studied the bid/no-bid decision making of construction projects from the new perspectives of risk perception and risk propensity of the decision makers.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 22 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1993

Dipankar Ghosh

Prior research suggests that there is enough residual uncertainty in conflict situations so that a person's attitude towards risk may influence his or her conflict behavior. This…

Abstract

Prior research suggests that there is enough residual uncertainty in conflict situations so that a person's attitude towards risk may influence his or her conflict behavior. This paper explores the level of dyadic conflict arising from negotiation between partners having different combinations of risk propensities. Dyadic conflict was measured as the sum of each dyadic partner's conflict score using the Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory‐I. Risk propensities of negotiators were induced The results from the experiment provide clear evidence in support of the research hypothesis that in a dyad, the greater the disparity between the negotiating partners in their risk‐taking propensities, the greater will be the levels of dyadic conflict. The result suggests that conflict models of negotiating under uncertainty need to include risk propensities of the players to expand their descriptive power.

Details

International Journal of Conflict Management, vol. 4 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1044-4068

Article
Publication date: 29 April 2021

Eda Gurel, Melih Madanoglu and Levent Altinay

This longitudinal study assesses whether higher education has the same impact on the entrepreneurial intentions of women and men with regard to their propensity to risk-taking in…

1033

Abstract

Purpose

This longitudinal study assesses whether higher education has the same impact on the entrepreneurial intentions of women and men with regard to their propensity to risk-taking in particular.

Design/methodology/approach

A self-administrated survey instrument was used to collect data from students studying business and engineering at five selected universities in Turkey. The survey was carried out in two intervals: first year and fourth year of studies. A total of 215 student participated in both waves.

Findings

The findings indicate that the impact of education is stronger for women than for men as the relationship between gender and entrepreneurial intention is moderated by education and risk-taking propensity in that the entrepreneurial intention of women with high or low risk-taking propensity increases when they acquire higher education. In particular, the boost is more noticeable for women with low risk-taking propensity. On the contrary, the effect of education is negative for men with both high risk-taking propensity and low risk-taking propensity.

Practical implications

This study has identified that the impact of education is different for women and men. Based on these findings, Turkey could offer gender-specific entrepreneurship education in higher education for individuals who could then exploit their entrepreneurial capacity and thus contribute to the social and economic well-being of the country.

Originality/value

This paper makes two distinct contributions. First, this is one of the few longitudinal studies in the literature which demonstrates the differences between females and males in terms of their entrepreneurial intention and shows how risk-taking and education influence entrepreneurial intention. Second, it offers new insights into entrepreneurship research from a developing-country but emerging-economy context.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 63 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 1997

Richard A. Huff, Mark Keil, Leon Kappelman and Victor Prybutok

Risk is an inherent component of business transactions. Today's flattened business organisations are forcing strategic, risk‐related decisions farther down the organisational…

Abstract

Risk is an inherent component of business transactions. Today's flattened business organisations are forcing strategic, risk‐related decisions farther down the organisational hierarchy (Richards et.al., 1996). Therefore, every business decision maker has to become proficient at factoring risk into the decision‐making process. How the risk level of the transaction affects the decision maker and the eventual decision is a function of that person's risk propensity. For senior managers in those flattened organisations facing the necessity of having less‐senior individuals making strategic decisions, the attitudes of those individuals toward risk is extremely important.

Details

Management Research News, vol. 20 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0140-9174

Article
Publication date: 2 February 2024

Qiuyun Guo and Zhongyan Zhang

Previous research has mainly focused on the outcomes of empowering leadership, and empirical evidence on how to encourage leaders to display empowering behaviors has been…

Abstract

Purpose

Previous research has mainly focused on the outcomes of empowering leadership, and empirical evidence on how to encourage leaders to display empowering behaviors has been overlooked, particularly from an interpersonal perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the integrative model of organizational trust, we investigate the relationship between employees' taking charge behaviors and empowering leadership considering the mediating role of leader trust in employees and the moderating role of risk propensity.

Findings

The results indicate that taking charge is positively associated with leader trust in employees, which influences the development of empowering leadership. Additionally, leaders' risk propensity moderates these relationships, that is, a higher level of risk propensity can enhance the promoting effect of leader trust on empowering behaviors.

Originality/value

This study explores the antecedents and mechanisms influencing empowering leadership and proposes the moderating effect of risk propensity. The findings not only clarify how and why employees' taking charge behaviors can stimulate empowering leadership but also offer a more comprehensive understanding of the antecedents of empowering leadership.

Details

Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 45 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7739

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 20000