How Social Identity Affects Entrepreneurs’ Desire for Control

In order to obtain a better understanding why some entrepreneurs retain more control over their venture than others, this article analyzes the relationship between the social identity of the entrepreneur and her/his desire for control. In fact, entrepreneurs face an important tradeoff between attracting resources required to build company value and retaining decision-making control. Yet, we currently lack insight into whether and how entrepreneurs’ social motivations shape this trade-off. This study draws on social identity theory and a unique sample of 148 buyout entrepreneurs, as this setting confronts aspiring entrepreneurs directly with the value–control tradeoff. In our logistic regression, we find that entrepreneurs with a strong missionary identity, where venture creation revolves around advancing a cause, hold a higher desire for control. We do not observe a significant relationship between entrepreneurs having a Darwinian (driven by economic self-interest) or communitarian (driven by the concern for the community) identity and the desire to control their venture. When adding the moderating role of the portion of personal wealth the entrepreneur is willing to invest in her/his venture, the relationships between having a Darwinian or missionary social identity and the desire for control become significantly positive when the entrepreneur is looking to invest a larger portion of her/his wealth.

The role of personal attitudes of control and responsibility for the uptake of peritoneal dialysis- a national survey among dialysis patients

Background Although most patients are suitable for both hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD), there seem to be differences in the outlook of patients who choose one modality over the other. There is currently limited literature about the impact of patients’ personal attitudes on the decision for PD or HD. In this study, we tried to find out whether there were differences between patients who were on HD and PD in their desire for control and responsibility for their treatment. Methods The data were drawn from a nationwide postal survey of 630 HD and PD patients. Patients’ desire for control was measured by scores on the internal locus of control (ILOC) scale. Patients were also asked how important taking responsibility for their dialysis had been for their treatment decision (ITR). Two multivariate logistic regression models, both adjusted for age, were applied to investigate whether there were differences between HD and PD patients in ILOC and ITR. Having one generic measure (ILOC) and one tailored to the dialysis context (ITR) gave the opportunity to investigate if it is a generic personality trait or rather a specific attitude that affects choice of dialysis modality. Results PD patients were younger and showed higher ILOC and ITR values. Multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for age confirmed the significant influence of ILOC and ITR on the uptake of PD. The odds ratios for being in the PD group were 1.53 for ILOC (p = 0.030; 95% CI 1.04–2.25), 1.49 for ITR (p = 0.019; 95% CI 1.07–2.07), and 0.95 (p = 0.000; 95% CI 0.94–0.97) for age in both models. Conclusions Our analysis shows the impact of personal attitudes on the uptake of PD. Participants who generally want to keep control of their lives and take responsibility for their dialysis treatment tended to choose PD. As PD is a home dialysis treatment that requires patients to participate and contribute, it is beneficial if patients’ personalities support the treatment procedure. Having two completely different treatment options that suit to different personalities gives us the opportunity to consider the relationship between personal attitudes and choice of dialysis modality. Trial registration The MAU-PD study is registered at the German Clinical Trials Register. DRKS-ID: DRKS00012555. Date of Registration in DRKS: 2018/01/04.

Desire for control and the integrated motivational-volitional model of suicidal behavior: Results from a pilot investigation of adults in the United Kingdom

Background: Suicidal behavior remains a pressing problem in the United Kingdom. Continued theory development is a critical step toward designing effective prevention. Aims: The present study tested a novel element to suicide theory, the Desire for Control, for its direct and moderating roles within the Integrated Motivational-Volitional (IMV) Model of Suicidal Behavior. Method: An online-administered cross-sectional suicide risk survey study ( n = 116) was conducted among adults living in the United Kingdom. Results: Mean suicidal ideation scores were in the non-clinical range. DOC Leadership and Destiny Control were associated with good mental health. DOC Decision Avoidance was associated with poor mental health. DOC Decision Avoidance also acted as a motivational moderator in which the entrapment-suicidal thinking link was worse among those high in decisional avoidance. Conclusion: DOC represents a novel, valuable addition to suicide theory and may inform suicide-specific psychotherapeutic intervention. Additional research is needed to full understand the role of DOC and its factor structures in the IMV.

The targets of all treachery: Delusional ideation, paranoia, and the need for uniqueness as mediators between two forms of narcissism and conspiracy beliefs

A number of recent studies have examined whether those high in grandiose narcissism are morelikely to believe in conspiracy theories. Few studies have, however, considered whether those high in vulnerable narcissism are also apt to believe in conspiracy theories, and none have attempted to identify the mechanisms that link these two forms of narcissism to conspiracy beliefs. The present study (N Participants = 397; N Informants = 460) investigated the relation of both grandiose narcissism and vulnerable narcissism with conspiracist ideation in the context of four theoretically-relevant mediators: (a) delusional ideation, (b) paranoia, (c) the need for uniqueness, and (d) the desire for control. Participants who were higher in grandiose narcissism and vulnerable narcissism were more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, seemingly because they were more likely to hold odd and unusual beliefs. There was, likewise, some evidence to suggest that those high in vulnerable narcissism believe in conspiracy theories because they suffer from paranoia, whereas those high in grandiose narcissism believe in conspiracy theories because of a desire to be unique. Together, these results suggest that the conspiracist ideation seen among those high in grandiose narcissism and vulnerable narcissism is a consequence of features that are shared between and unique to each of the two traits.

Leaders and machiavellian manifestations: workers' innovation development and business performance

This research aims to assess the level of manipulation of leaders and Machiavellian manifestations in the work process within selected socio-demographic characteristics of employees. Based on the described theoretical basis, three hypotheses were established. The hypotheses concern is examining the differences between manipulation and Machiavellian manifestations regarding employees' residence (urban or rural), the sphere of the organization (private or public) in which they work, and the age of employees. The data were obtained through a questionnaire survey in which 123 respondents participated. The study involved methodological tools such as CASADI (Calculativness, Self-Assertion, Diplomacy) and MPS (Machiavellian Personality Scale). The new CASADI methodology identifies Machiavellian manifestations in business and managerial behavior. It contains statements that relate to the respondent's opinion on manipulation between people. The MPS methodology was created for leaders in determining the level of their manipulation through four factors determining Machiavellianism. The survey results were evaluated through a t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient. The findings confirmed the differences in Self-Assertion, Desire for Control, and Distrust regarding respondents' residence. The study of age differences recorded the statistical significance for the attribute of Diplomacy within Machiavellian manifestations and the attribute of Desire for social status within the manipulation of leaders. Within the differences between the private and public spheres, statistical significance was recorded for the attributes of Machiavellian manifestations of Computation and Self-Enforcement, and for the attributes of the manipulation of leaders Amorality, Desire for Control and Distrust of others. The research results indicated that employees living in the city might have a higher degree of Machiavellianism. It is reflected in their motivation for for-profit and the need to control others and not trust them. Research suggested that the rate of Machiavellianism decreases with age. In the case of the organization activity where the employee works, it was found that Machiavellian tendencies were more pronounced in employees of the private sphere.

The bee symbolism in Sylvia Plath's poetics: Between rational and inspiration

Contemporary American poetess of confessional orientation, Sylvia Plath, was often in her career torn between the rational role-models and creative inspiration. This tension is most evident in Plath's metaphors, in which her desire for control and understanding is confronted to the limitations of language to signify the unspoken. The paper aims at presenting symbolic (psychological, religious) semantics of bees in the author's literary oeuvre. The bees are an appropriate, uncrystallized medium; like language, they resist comparison through their transformative power. The bee becomes a personal emblem of the poetess; it represents the culmination and reconciliation of the classical and rational influences in her poetics. The cyclical nature of the bee poems follows the pattern of symbolic death and rebirth-signifying a regeneration-the spring of a new life. Although the spring will inevitably lead one more time to winter and death, the bee as a medium has a liberating quality for the poetess, signifying vitality and authenticity that remain the ultimate values of her art.

Grit: the good, the bad and the ugly

PurposeThe concept of grit has been receiving increased attention in recent years. Grit is a trait that enables individuals to persevere while facing challenges and obstacles in life, sometimes “winning at any cost”. The purpose of the study is to understand how ethical views may vary among different groups of people segmented on grittiness. Our key argument is that grittier segment is more inclined towards Machiavellian factors (amorality, desire for control, desire for status, distrust of others) and materialism.Design/methodology/approachData derived from self-administered questionnaires completed by convenience samples of Indonesians living in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY), a region commonly considered as the miniature of Indonesia. Turning to market segmentation tools (n = 467), we first segment people based on their level of grittiness and, subsequently, investigate each segment's perception towards various Machiavellian factors (amorality, desire for control, distrust of others) and materialistic attitudes.FindingsThe study identified three segments of grittiness: The Least Gritty (the Good), The More Gritty (the Bad) and The Most Gritty (the Ugly). The results of this study showed the dark side of grit. Individuals with higher grit traits are more likely to behave unethically which could be referred to as “bad” and “ugly”. To help them succeed, cheating and lying are more likely considered acceptable by gritty individuals compared to less gritty “good” individuals.Practical implicationsMerely focussing on grit–be it grit promotion or training–may produce individuals who achieve success at all costs and disregard ethical values. An implication from the study is not to discourage developing grit in individuals but instead to add and emphasise ethical components. This implication is especially critical for educators and managers developing grit as a part of their activities.Originality/valueThe results of this study will have important theoretical implications and managerial implications educators balancing the consequences of teaching grit, but also for managers interested in understanding employees' level of grit within their workplaces along with ethical considerations.

Perceived Control in the Lab and in Daily Life Impact Emotion-Induced Temporal Distortions

Prior research has shown that the arousal and valence dimensions of emotional images distort the perceived duration of those images. Further, these time distortions are eliminated when observers feel in control over the events in the experiment. The present study had two goals. The first goal was to replicate the effect of perceived control on time perception, using a design where perceived control was manipulated within subjects. The second goal was to evaluate whether the experimental manipulation of perceived control was related to feelings of control experienced in daily life, as assessed by the Desire for Control and Locus of Control scales. In all, 109 participants completed a time bisection task and evaluated the same emotional images under low and high levels of perceived control over the events. The results replicated the finding that the temporal distortions by emotional events observed under low perceived control were eliminated under high perceived control. Furthermore, individual differences regarding control in daily life modulated the effects of perceived control on time perception. Individuals with a high desire for control and a high degree of internality seemed to have an enhanced experience of positive events. These same individuals also benefited more from the experimental control manipulation, speeding the passage of time and perhaps making the task more enjoyable. The results are discussed in the context of current models of time perception.