Dyslexic entrepreneurs: the incidence; their coping strategies and their business skills

Abstract

This comparative study explores the incidence of dyslexia in entrepreneurs, corporate managers and the general population. It examines the suggestion that dyslexic entrepreneurs develop coping strategies to manage their weaknesses, which are subsequently of benefit in the new venture creation process. Results of this study suggest that there is a significantly higher incidence of dyslexia in entrepreneurs than in the corporate management and general US and UK populations and some of the strategies they adopt to overcome dyslexia (such as delegation of tasks) may be useful in business. The study was undertaken in two parts. First, entrepreneurs and corporate managers completed an online questionnaire, which combined questions about their company, their management or leadership role and their business skills together with questions that were designed to explore the likely incidence of dyslexia. A follow-up study that made use of a semi-structured questionnaire explored business issues and educational experience in more depth with those who had been diagnosed as dyslexic and those who did not have any history of dyslexia or any other learning difficulty.

Resilience strategies employed by teachers with dyslexia working at tertiary education

“…These findings are in line with a number of other investigations that have documented adults with dyslexia being able to develop ingenious strategies to overcome their difficulties (Everatt, Steffert & Smythe, 1999;Gerber et al, 1992;Goldberg et al, 2003;Hellendoorn & Ruijssenaars, 2000;Logan, 2009;McNulty, 2003;Paananen, 2006). In keeping with other published research on practicing teachers with LDs (Ferri et al, 2001;Riddick, 2003;Vogel et al, 2007;Vogel & Sharoni, 2011), compensatory strategies have been confirmed to be of utmost importance for teachers with LD to be successful in their work.…”

“…At the same time the teaching profession has become increasingly complex and challenging, which is reflected in high rates of teacher attrition in some countries (Castro, Kelly & Shih, 2010;Mansfield et al, 2012), and a high degree of work-related stress (Brante, 2009). This has raised questions whether individuals with dyslexia are suitable applicants for teaching (Singleton, 1999;O'Dwyer & Thorpe, 2013) In contrast, research confirms that people with dyslexia have been found to be highly successful and effective at the highest occupational levels, including in the teaching profession (Logan, 2009;Reid, Came, & Price, 2008;West, 2010in Leather et al, 2011. Previous studies on the experiences of teacher trainees' from Canada, UK and US (Duquette, 2000;Glazzard & Dale, 2013;Griffiths, 2011;Macleod & Cebula, 2009;Morgan & Rooney, 1997;Riddell & Weedon, 2013;Riddick, 2003) as well as of those practicing teachers with dyslexia (Ferri, Connor, Solis, Valle & Volpitta, 2005;Ferri, Keefe & Gregg, 2001;O'Dwyer & Thorpe, 2013;Riddick, 2003;Valle et al, 2004;Vogel et al, 2007;Vogel & Sharoni, 2011) confirm their existence.…”

“…Utilizing one's strengths in an employment context has been found to be one of the keys for adults with dyslexia in order to be highly successful and effective at the highest occupational levels (Reid et al, 2008). For example, enhanced oral communication skills and an ability to delegate have been mentioned as essential tools for success in business for individuals with dyslexia (Logan, 2009).…”

Searching for the entrepreneurial personality: New evidence and avenues for further research

“…In line with previous expectations (see Logan, 2009) a higher level of trust, aggregately measured, significantly increases the probability of entry in self-employment. However, in further analysis of various single trust items, they also find that being aware of the negative consequences of unconditional trust increases the probability of being selfemployed.…”

Visuo-Spatial Skills in Atypical Readers

“…They stressed the possibility of a pattern of career choice correlated with having RD. Logan (2009) found similar results with some nuances as to the type of business venture, for example people with RD were more often entrepreneurs than corporate managers, and used strategies such as delegation for tasks that involved verbal demands. In the same vein, Finucci and colleagues (1985) tracked boys with RD into adulthood to assess their career choices and found the majority to be employed in the business area with differences correlated to the degree of their original reading deficits as young children.…”