Keep dreaming: how personality traits affects the recognition and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities in the agritourism industry

Abstract

PurposeThis paper analyses how entrepreneurs recognise and exploit entrepreneurial opportunities following a sustainable approach that respects the equilibrium among environmental, social and commercial purposes, and how their personality affects this process. The main personality traits focused in this study are narcissism, locus of control and sustainability orientation.Design/methodology/approachThis single case study involves Essentia Dimora Rurale, a small agritourism business, located in Molise (Italy), characterised by a sustainable business model that generates value for the local environment, thus revitalising abandoned territories. Data are collected using qualitative and quantitative methods and are analysed using the Gioia methodology.FindingsThe Essentia Dimora Rurale's approach is rooted in the concept of sustainability and the development of tourism in the territory. The preservation of traditional values and the creation of a network allow the firm to prosper and survive. The personalities of the two sibling entrepreneurs fuel the process, and the authors show that each personality trait plays a different role in each phase of the firm's growth.Research limitations/implicationsFrom a theoretical point of view, the study contributes to entrepreneurial, sustainability and personality literature. However, using a single case study can represent a limit for the research.Practical implicationsVarious practical implications are recognised concerning several stakeholders, such as the owners and the entities linked to the regional promotion and tourism sectors.Originality/valueThe novelty of the research relies on the importance of entrepreneur opportunity identification, particularly in sustainable firms. Moreover, the authors fill the literature gap investigating the impact of three personality traits in this process.

A scientometric review of hotspots and emerging trends in sustainable business model

“…Besides, the implementation of SBM also contributes to creating long-term values [ 42 ], creating social value and maximizing social benefits [ 43 ], achieving sustainable goals [ 40 ], obtaining reliable income [ 44 ], and gaining corporate reputation and resilience [ 45 ]. Therefore, SBM can generate value and substantially impact the local environment [ 46 , 47 ], develop our current consumer society, and integrate sustainable development into our lifestyles [ 48 ].…”

Leveraging Entrepreneurship and Digital Innovation in Higher Education to Revitalise Namibia’s Hospitality & Tourism Sector Post-COVID-19 Era

“…Information must be transformed into a digital format during digitization in order to be stored, processed, or communicated. The digitalization of H&T organisations, on the other hand, necessitates the use of DTs and digitised data to modify roles, processes and workflows in order to streamline current methods of operation and boost productivity By incorporating sustainability into the daily operations of their businesses, sustainable entrepreneurs are able to highlight their role as wealth creators (Ariful et al, 2023;Leonelli et al, 2022). Additionally, the sustainability perspective empowers businesspeople to strike a balance between moral and ethical principles when seizing chances, setting them apart from conventional businesspeople who occasionally compromise their principles .…”

“…Additionally, the sustainability perspective empowers businesspeople to strike a balance between moral and ethical principles when seizing chances, setting them apart from conventional businesspeople who occasionally compromise their principles . These abilities enable businesspeople to comprehend and foresee how decisions will affect the environment and social balance in the short-and long-term Leonelli et al, 2022). In this line, business owners with strong sustainability orientations can run their companies in a way that is both socially and environmentally responsible .…”

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“…This makes it possible to embrace narcissism into an organism as an emotional state and debunks the notion that narcissism is not a proper organism representation. Successful adaptations of the SOR framework have been seen in different fields that uncover the relation between significant causes and reactions such as personality traits and entrepreneurship (Caputo & Pellegrini, 2020), narcissistic entrepreneurs and business opportunities (Leonelli et al, 2022), entrepreneurial personality and narcissism (Mathieu & St-Jean, 2013) and more.…”