Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal
Published on: April 18, 2017
Leadership in entrepreneurial organizations: context and motives
Margarita Martí Ripoll1, Francisco Gil Rodríguez, Angel Barrasa
1ESADE-Universidad Ramón Llull, Barcelona, Spain. margarita.marti@esade.edu
Abstract:
Although organizational contexts have an influence on leadership, and some of their characteristics may facilitate (through weak structures) or inhibit (through strong structures) the leaders' behaviors, the extent of their influence has rarely been studied. Indeed, research of the influence of some types of contexts (entrepreneurial vs. non-entrepreneurial) on the emergence of certain variables (leaders' motives) is even scarcer. This paper analyses this influence in 40 companies, interviewing their leaders to obtain a qualitative register of their motives, and administering questionnaires to members of their respective management teams. The hypothesis considered was that, in 'weak' contexts (entrepreneurial), the leaders' motives would be more salient than in 'strong' contexts (non-entrepreneurial). The results largely confirm this hypothesis with respect to behaviors that are directly related to three main motives (power, affiliation and achievement). These results are discussed, and practical suggestions are provided for future research.
Related Concept Videos
Secondary Motives: Power Motivation and Achievement Motivation
Power motivation is characterized by the desire to influence, control, or have an impact on others. It is shaped by an individual's experiences, social environment, and cultural context. People with high power motivation are...
Impact of Individuals on a Group
Incentive Theory: Pull Theory of Motivation
The theory differentiates between intrinsic and...
Social Loafing
Motivational Bias
Secondary Motives: Affiliation Motivation and Aggression Motivation