Thriving Vs. Surviving: A Regulatory Focus Perspective on Entrepreneurial Striving

Abstract

Entrepreneurs are often faced with a choice between persisting on the current opportunity, and moving on to other opportunities. These choices can be framed in terms of thriving (maximizing positive outcomes) or surviving (minimizing negative outcomes). Using a policy capturing approach, we tested whether Regulatory Focus (Higgins, 1987; Higgins, 1997) is a predictor of the choice that is made. Approximately 750 individuals enrolled in a variety of continuing education programs were invited to participate in the survey. Data collection is currently under way. We expect to find that individual Regulatory Focus is a reliable predictor of individual effort on collective tasks under varying conditions of goal attainment, and in the presence, or absence of alternate opportunities.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship

JEL Classification: M13