December 2025

VOlUME 04 ISSUE 12 December 2025
The Effect of the Entrepreneur's Profile on Entrepreneurial Motivations, Attitudes, and Skills: An Empirical Study in Tunisian Companies
1Dhekra Chaabane, 2Anis JARBOUI
1Faculty of Economics and Management of Sfax, Tunisia
2University of Sfax, Tunisia
DOI : https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2025.v4i12n11

Google Scholar Download Pdf
ABSTRACT

This study examines how individual characteristics of entrepreneurs influence entrepreneurial failure in 224 Tunisian businesses. It analyzes the impact of the entrepreneur's profile (experience, education, management and entrepreneurial skills, risk tolerance), motivations and attitudes (intrinsic vs. extrinsic, optimism/realism, fear of failure, resilience), and aptitudes (financial management, marketing/sales, human resources, governance, learning capacity, and pivoting) on the perception of opportunities and the propensity to undertake and persevere. The analysis distinguishes between internal factors (profile, mindset) and external factors (economic environment, access to financing, network, and institutional support) and aims to identify the most frequent modes of failure, as well as the mechanisms by which attitudes and skills influence the detection and exploitation of opportunities..

KEYWORDS:

entrepreneurial failure, entrepreneur profile, motivation, entrepreneurial aptitude and attitude, perception of opportunities.

REFERENCES

1) Ajzen, I. (2002). Perceived Behavioral Control, Self-Efficacy, Locus of Control, and the Theory of Planned Behavior. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32(4), 665‑683. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2002.tb00236.x

2) Albert, P., & Mougenot, P. (2024). La création d’entreprises high-tech:Article publié dans la Revue Française de Gestion – Mars-Avril-Mai 1988. Entreprendre & Innover, HS61, 23‑39. https://doi.org/10.3917/entin.hs61.0023

3) AUDET, J., RIVERIN, N., & TREMBLAY, M. (2005). L’influence de la culture d’un pays sur la propension entrepreneuriale de ses citoyens: Le cas du Canada.

4) Beaver, W. H. (1966). Financial Ratios As Predictors of Failure. Journal of Accounting Research, 4, 71‑111. https://doi.org/10.2307/2490171

5) Boshoff, A. B., Bennett, H. F., & Owusu, A. A. (1992). Entrepreneurship research: Where are we and where should we be going? Development Southern Africa, 9(1), 47‑64. https://doi.org/10.1080/03768359208439622

6) Busenitz, L. W., Gómez, C., & Spencer, J. W. (2000). Country Institutional Profiles: Unlocking Entrepreneurial Phenomena. Academy of Management Journal, 43(5), 994‑1003. https://doi.org/10.5465/1556423

7) Cromie, S. (2000). Assessing entrepreneurial inclinations: Some approaches and empirical evidence. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 9(1), 7‑30. https://doi.org/10.1080/135943200398030

8) Daubie, M., & Meskens, N. (2002). Business Failure Prediction: A Review and Analysis of the Literature. In C. Zopounidis (Éd.), New Trends in Banking Management (p. 71‑86). Physica-Verlag HD. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-57478-8_5

9) Dimitras, A. I., Zanakis, S. H., & Zopounidis, C. (1996). A survey of business failures with an emphasis on prediction methods and industrial applications. European Journal of Operational Research, 90(3), 487‑513. https://doi.org/10.1016/0377-2217(95)00070-4

10) Donckels, R. (1989). New entrepreneurship: Lessons from the past, perspectives for the future. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 1(1), 75‑84. https://doi.org/10.1080/08985628900000007

11) Galloway, L., & Kelly, S. W. (2009). Identifying entrepreneurial potential? An investigation of the identifiers and features of entrepreneurship. International Review of Entrepreneurship, 7(4), 1‑24.

12) Gasse, Y. (2011a). Entrepreneurial Beliefs and Intentions: A Cross-Cultural Study of University Students in Seven Countries. International Journal of Business, 16.

13) Gasse, Y. (2011b). Entrepreneurial Beliefs and Intentions: A Cross-Cultural Study of University Students in Seven Countries. International Journal of Business, 16.

14) Gielnik, M. M., Zacher, H., & Wang, M. (2018). Age in the entrepreneurial process: The role of future time perspective and prior entrepreneurial experience. Journal of Applied Psychology, 103(10), 1067‑1085. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000322

15) Hamidi, Y., & Hassane, D. (2013). L’impact des caractéristiques individuelles sur la réussite d’un jeune entrepreneur. El-Bahith Review, 13(1), 11‑25.

16) Hilmola, O.-P. (2004). Enhancing system-wide profitability with new product introduction and throughput accounting. International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management, 01(03), 289‑306. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0219877004000192

17) James W. Carland, J., Carland, J. A. C., & James W. (Trey) Carland, I. I. I. (1995). Self-Actualization: The Zenith of Entrepreneurship. Journal of Small Business Strategy (Archive Only), 6(1), 53‑66.

18) Jaziri, R. (2009a, avril). Une vision renouvelée des paradigmes de l’entrepreneuriat: Vers une reconfiguration de la recherche en entrepreneuriat. Entrepreneuriat et Entreprise: nouveaux enjeux et nouveaux défis. https://inria.hal.science/hal-00829206

19) Jaziri, R. (2009b, avril). Une vision renouvelée des paradigmes de l’entrepreneuriat: Vers une reconfiguration de la recherche en entrepreneuriat. Entrepreneuriat et Entreprise: nouveaux enjeux et nouveaux défis. https://inria.hal.science/hal-00829206

20) Johanna de Villiers‐Scheepers, M. (2012). Antecedents of strategic corporate entrepreneurship. European Business Review, 24(5), 400‑424. https://doi.org/10.1108/09555341211254508

21) Khalil, N., Kamaruzzaman, S. N., & Baharum, M. R. (2016). Ranking the indicators of building performance and the users’ risk via Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP): Case of Malaysia. Ecological Indicators, 71, 567‑576. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.07.032

22) Lassassi, M., & Hammouda, N. (2008). CAPITAL HUMAIN, INFORMALITE ET STRATE DE RÉSIDENCE DE L’EMPLOYEUR: QUELS IMPACTS SUR LA CROISSANCE DE LA TAILLE DE SON ENTREPRISE? les cahiers du mecas, 4(1), 193‑217.

23) Lopez, J.-C., Feige, J., & Méreaux, J.-P. (s. d.). LA MESURE DE LA CAPACITÉ À ENTREPRENDRE: UN OUTIL POUR LA PME.

24) Loué, C., Laviolette, E.-M., & Bonnafous-Boucher, M. (2008). L’entrepreneur à l’épreuve de ses compétences: Eléments de construction d’un référentiel en situation d’incubation. Revue de l’Entrepreneuriat / Review of Entrepreneurship, 7(1), 63‑83. https://doi.org/10.3917/entre.071.0063

25) Lüthje, C., & Franke, N. (2003). the ‘making’ of an entrepreneur: Testing a model of entrepreneurial intent among engineering students at MIT. R&D Management, 33(2), 135‑147. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9310.00288

26) Malécot, J.-F. (1991). Analyses théoriques des défaillances d’entreprises: Une revue de la littérature. Revue d’économie financière, 19, 205‑227.

27) McClelland, D. C. (1961). Achieving Society. Simon and Schuster.

28) Mellahi, K., & Wilkinson, A. (2004). Organizational failure: A critique of recent research and a proposed integrative framework. International Journal of Management Reviews, 5‑6(1), 21‑41. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-8545.2004.00095.x

29) Messeghem, K., Noguera, F., & Sammut, S. (2010). GRH, PME et Entrepreneuriat: Regards croisés. Management & Avenir, 39(9), 87‑95. https://doi.org/10.3917/mav.039.0087

30) Moreau, R., & Raveleau, B. (2006). Les trajectoires de l’intention entrepreneuriale. Revue internationale P.M.E. Économie et gestion de la petite et moyenne entreprise, 19(2), 101‑131. https://doi.org/10.7202/1008497ar

31) Moulton, W. N., Thomas, H., & Pruett, M. (1996). Business Failure Path ways: Environmental Stress and Organizational Response. Journal of Management, 22(4), 571‑595. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639602200403

32) Panda, T. K., & Panda, S. (2005). Studying Entrepreneurial Seriousness Amid Small Businesses of Orissa. 10‑21.

33) Philippart, P. (2017a). L’accompagnement de l’entrepreneur en difficulté: Questions autour d’un phénomène complexe. Projectics / Proyéctica / Projectique, 16(1), 11‑29. https://doi.org/10.3917/proj.016.0011

34) Philippart, P. (2017b). L’accompagnement de l’entrepreneur en difficulté: Questions autour d’un phénomène complexe. Projectics / Proyéctica / Projectique, 16(1), 11‑29. https://doi.org/10.3917/proj.016.0011

35) Philippart, P. (2017c). L’accompagnement de l’entrepreneur en difficulté: Questions autour d’un phénomène complexe. Projectics / Proyéctica / Projectique, 16(1), 11‑29. https://doi.org/10.3917/proj.016.0011

36) Philippart, P. (2017d). L’accompagnement de l’entrepreneur en difficulté: Questions autour d’un phénomène complexe. Projectics / Proyéctica / Projectique, 16(1), 11‑29. https://doi.org/10.3917/proj.016.0011

37) Shepherd, D. A. (2011). Multilevel Entrepreneurship Research: Opportunities for Studying Entrepreneurial Decision Making. Journal of Management, 37(2), 412‑420. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310369940

38) Silweya, T. (2025a). EXPLORING INTERDISCIPLINARY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP RESEARCH FOCUSING ON FAILURES AND SUCCESSES OF ENTREPRENEURS : Journal of Management: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), 18(1), 95‑113. https://doi.org/10.35508/jom.v18i1.18285

39) Silweya, T. (2025b). EXPLORING INTERDISCIPLINARY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP RESEARCH FOCUSING ON FAILURES AND SUCCESSES OF ENTREPRENEURS : Journal of Management: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), 18(1), 95‑113. https://doi.org/10.35508/jom.v18i1.18285

40) St-Jean, É., & Fonrouge, C. (2020). Comment développer l’auto-efficacité entrepreneuriale? Étude auprès d’étudiants universitaires. Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 32(4), 355‑377. https://doi.org/10.1080/08276331.2018.1560842

41) Ucbasaran, D., Shepherd, D. A., Lockett, A., & Lyon, S. J. (2013). Life After Business Failure: The Process and Consequences of Business Failure for Entrepreneurs. Journal of Management, 39(1), 163‑202. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206312457823

42) Van Caillie, D., & Lambrecht, C. (1995). L’entrepreneur, ses motivations, sa vision stratégique, ses objectifs. Cahier de Recherche du Crédit Professionnel / Beroepskrediet, 1995. https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/36031

43) Vérin, H. (s. d.). Entrepreneurs, entreprise. In Http://journals.openedition.org/lectures. Classiques Garnier. Consulté 8 décembre 2025, à l’adresse https://journals.openedition.org/lectures/6516

VOlUME 04 ISSUE 12 December 2025

Indexed In