Table 1.

Overview of previous studies

Author (year)	Start-up intention and motivation (independent variable)	Selfish and other personality indicators	Theory applied	Country
Altinay et al. (2012)	Entrepreneurial intention	Family tradition (+) Locus of control (insignificant) Innovativeness (+) Propensity to take risks (+) Tolerance of ambiguity (insignificant) Need for achievement (insignificant)	McClelland’s motivation theory	United Kingdom
Antoncic et al. (2015)	Entrepreneurship (activity and propensity)	Openness (+) Conscientiousness (insignificant) Extraversion (+) Agreeableness (+) Neuroticism (insignificant)	The discovery theory of entrepreneurial action	Slovenia
Brunell et al. (2008)	Emergent leadership	Narcissism (+)	Theory of emergent leadership	United States
Chen et al. (1998)	Entrepreneurial intentions	Entrepreneurial Self-efficacy (+)	Social learning theory Expectancy theory	United States
Crant (1996)	Entrepreneurial intentions	Proactive personality scale (+)	Interactionist theory	United States
Haynes et al. (2015)	Financial success of young start-up	Greedy leader (–) Hubristic leader (−)	Theory of greed and hubris	United States
Hmieleski and Lerner (2016)	Entrepreneurial intentions	Narcissism (+) Psychopathy (insignificant) Machiavellianism (insignificant)		United States
	Unproductive entrepreneurial motives	Narcissism (insignificant) Psychopathy (+) Machiavellianism (+)	Life History Theory and Social Exchange Theory
	Productive entrepreneurial motives	Narcissism (insignificant) Psychopathy (+) Machiavellianism (insignificant)
Littunen (2000)	Entrepreneur's personality characteristics	Entrepreneurship (+)	McClelland’s theory Rotter’s locus of control theory	Finland
	Achievement motivation	Entrepreneurs' co-operation (−) Entrepreneurs' personal interest network (+)
	Control of powerful others	Entrepreneurs' co-operation (−)
Mathieu and St-Jean (2013)	Entrepreneurial Intentions	Narcissism (+)	Career choice theory Person-environment fit theory	Canada