摘要：Despite its widely researched role in individual success in many
life domains, there is little evidence of how positive affect (that is, the
extent to which an individual subjectively experiences positive feelings and
emotions) plays a role in entrepreneurial success. Our study proposes and
tests an extended model of Baron’s (2008) conceptual framework to
investigate the role of positive affect in entrepreneurial success by using a
dataset of more than 800 sole proprietors. Our research model relates
positive affect to Baron’s key aspects of the entrepreneurial process
(opportunity recognition, financial resource acquisition, social network
development, response to dynamic environment, and tolerance to stress)
and the entrepreneurial success of sole proprietors. Our findings show that
positive affect is indirectly and positively associated with the
entrepreneurial success of sole proprietors through this entrepreneurial
process. Indeed, sole proprietors who express generally positive feelings
and emotions are more likely to succeed due to their increased capacity to
recognize opportunities, develop broad social networks, respond effectively
to rapid change in highly dynamic environments and tolerate intense levels
of stress. Our findings have important implications for theory and practice.
关键词：(positive) affect; PANAS; entrepreneurial process;
entrepreneurial success; sole proprietors
