The weary founder: Sleep problems and entrepreneurial motives.

Why do people become entrepreneurs? Past research has focused on the "traits" that may distinguish entrepreneurs from non-entrepreneurs. Complementing this work, we focus on a "state" omnipresent in the modern world: the experience of sleep problems. Building from theory and empirical findings suggesting that sleep problems should heighten entrepreneurial motives by increasing a person's tendency to display ADHD-like behavioral tendencies, four studies test for a potentially indirect relationship between sleep problems and the desire to found an entrepreneurial venture. These studies work together to support the proposed indirect relationship, showing that this relationship arises across diverse groups of people including business students, the general population, and current entrepreneurs. Overall, our studies provide the first evidence that the state-like experience of sleep problems may contribute to the desire to become an entrepreneur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]