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I want to report on a study I recently did to examine how our genetic make up might influence whether or not we become entrepreneurs.

We surveyed 3,454 twins, comprising 870 pairs of identical and 857 pairs of same sex fraternal twin pairs from the Twins UK registry — the national volunteer twin register in the U.K. We examined whether genetic factors influenced:

(1) starting a new business;

(2) being an owner-operator of a company;

(3) engaging in the firm start-up process; and

(4) self-employment.

We found that between 37 and 42 percent of the difference in the tendency of the people in the sample to engage in entrepreneurship is accounted for by genetic factors.

This much replicated previous work we had done.

But we also looked at a psychological trait of sensation seeking. People high in sensation seeking have a need for novel experiences, seek out change and approach new situations more positively than other people.

We replicated previous studies that show that a significant part of the difference between people in sensation seeking is influenced by our genetic make-up. More importantly, we found that between 31 and 46 percent of the portion of the difference in the tendency to engage in entrepreneurship among people in the sample that is influenced by our genes is mediated by sensation seeking.

Although this is just one study and would need to be replicated, the results suggest that one way that genes affect the tendency of people to engage in entrepreneurship is by affecting the distribution of the personality trait of sensation seeking across people.

See also: Born Entrepreneurs?

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About the Author: Scott Shane is A. Malachi Mixon III, Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies at Case Western Reserve University. He is the author of seven books, including Illusions of Entrepreneurship: The Costly Myths that Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Policy Makers Live By and Finding Fertile Ground: Identifying Extraordinary Opportunities for New Ventures