Passion and grit: An exploration of the pathways leading to venture success

Abstract

Entrepreneurial passion has been proposed as a central characteristic of entrepreneurs, theorized to influence a host of entrepreneurial behaviors as well as firm performance. The current study explores one set of pathways leading from developer passion to performance, identifying self-regulatory mode (locomotion and assessment) and grit as significant conduits of this relationship. In this study, we use multi-source survey data, with 1 year lagged performance data, to empirically examine relationships between developer passion, self-regulatory mode, grit, and performance. Using path analysis modeling, we find that the relationship between developer passion and grit is mediated by both locomotion and assessment, with results indicating a positive relationship between locomotion and grit and a negative relationship between assessment and grit. Our results also reveal a positive relationship between grit and venture performance. Implications of these findings to research and practice are then discussed.