The Relationship Between Psychological Capital and Social Venture Program Initiation

Author

Paul L. van Putten II, Lynn University

Date of Award

6-25-2009

Document Type

Dissertation

Granting Institution

Lynn University

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PHD)

Degree Program

Global Leadership - with a specialization in Corporate adn Organizational Management

Department

College of Business and Management

First Advisor

Robert Green

Second Advisor

John Cipolla

Third Advisor

Farideh Farazmand

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is viewed as one of the greatest sources of societal productivity in cultural history (Spinosa, Flores, & Dreyfus, 1999), and recently social entrepreneurship has become an increasingly viable method for not-for-profit organizations to garner profit through implementing community enhancing programs (Hopkins, 2005, Morial, 2006; Wickham, 2005).

Literature suggests that psychological capital has an impact on an entrepreneurial administrators' ability to implement new programs, but few studies have investigated the relationship between the not-for-profit administrators' psychological capital and their ability to initiate social venture programs (Jensen & Luthans, 2006; Olson, & Bosserman, 2001).

This dissertation study developed a theoretical framework based on Luthans, Youssef and Avolio's (2007) psychological capital research. The research question and hypotheses presents additional understanding of the not-for-profit administrators' ability to initiate social venture (social entrepreneurship) programs.

This quantitative research examines the relationship between psychological capital, education, civic networks, gender and social venture initiation. The Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) and social venture survey instrument were distributed to 416 Urban League administrators.

Descriptive analysis and multiple regressions were employed to test the hypotheses and answer the research question. Research indicated that psychological capital, and the mediating variables education, civic networks and gender indicate a relationship but hold no significant influence in social venture program initiation.

Recommended Citation

van Putten, P. L. (2009). The Relationship Between Psychological Capital and Social Venture Program Initiation [Doctoral dissertation, Lynn University]. SPIRAL. https://spiral.lynn.edu/etds/53