Proceedings of the 11th International Academic Conference, Reykjavik

THE IMPACT OF ENTREPRENEUR PERSONAL VALUES ON THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF SMALL BUSINESS

JUN YAN, LI YAN

Abstract:

In this study we examine the impact of entrepreneur personal values on the organizational structure of small business. The leadership imperative theory suggests that entrepreneur's personal traits will have an impact on his or her style of management. We propose that the way a small business is structured, that is, its major structural characteristics, is not only determined by the strategic, technological and environmental factors, but also is influenced by the personal values of the owner(s) of the small business. An empirical analysis of data collected from more than 200 small businesses provide support to our hypotheses. The implications of the findings from this study are discussed in this paper.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship, personal values, organizational structure

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