Summary: Habitual entrepreneurs show greater cognitive flexibility and increased gray matter volume in the left insula compared to managers. This area of the brain is associated with divergent thinking, which is key to entrepreneurial success.
Research suggests that understanding the neural basis of cognitive flexibility can improve entrepreneurship training and education. These findings highlight the importance of integrating neuroscience with business to foster innovation and adaptability.
Key facts:
- Cognitive flexibility: Habitual entrepreneurs have higher cognitive flexibility than managers.
- Brain structure: Increased gray matter in the left insula correlates with cognitive agility in entrepreneurs.
- Practical implications: Insights can improve business training programs and drive innovation in organizations.
Source: University of Liège
In a recent study led by the University of Liège, researchers delved into the intersection of entrepreneurship and neuroscience, focusing specifically on the cognitive flexibility of habitual entrepreneurs—those who repeatedly start new businesses—compared to less experienced entrepreneurs and managers.
Cognitive flexibility—the ability to adapt and move from one concept or strategy to another—is critical to entrepreneurial success. Understanding the neural basis of this characteristic may provide valuable information for improving entrepreneurship training and education.
Recently published research suggests connections between entrepreneurial behavior and brain structure, opening new perspectives in the emerging field of neuroentrepreneurship.
“Our study used a two-stage methodology,” explains Frédéric Ooms, assistant professor and first author of the study.
“We first collected our own data on cognitive flexibility from 727 participants, including entrepreneurs and managers. Next, we performed structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on a subset of these participants to examine differences in brain gray matter volume.
“This multidisciplinary approach allowed us to correlate our own cognitive flexibility with actual brain structure.”
And what emerges first from the analyzes is greater cognitive flexibility and brain differences between entrepreneurs and managers. Ordinary entrepreneurs show an increase in gray matter volume in the left insula compared to managers.
This area of the brain is associated with increased cognitive agility and divergent thinking, which are fundamental traits in business. The study also links gray matter density in the left insula to cognitive flexibility, particularly divergent thinking.
“This finding suggests that the brains of habitual entrepreneurs are specially adapted to support the cognitive flexibility needed to identify and exploit new opportunities,” explains Steven Laureys, a neuroscientist at ULiège and Laval University.
This research has practical implications for educators and organizations. By recognizing the importance of cognitive flexibility, training programs can be designed to cultivate this trait in budding entrepreneurs.
Organizations can also benefit from promoting cognitive flexibility among managers, which could lead to more innovative and adaptive business strategies.
“This study is essential for entrepreneurship and neuroscience researchers, educators designing entrepreneurship training programs, and business leaders who want to foster innovation in their organizations,” continues Bernard Surlemont, professor of entrepreneurship.
“By understanding the neural basis of cognitive flexibility, stakeholders can better support entrepreneurial success and adaptability.”
The discovery of distinct neural characteristics in ordinary entrepreneurs not only advances our understanding of entrepreneurial cognition, but also opens up new avenues of research into how these brain structures develop and change in response to entrepreneurial activities.
Longitudinal studies are underway to investigate whether these differences result from innate predispositions or a plastic brain response to entrepreneurial experience.
This ground-breaking research highlights the importance of combining neuroscience with traditional business studies to gain a comprehensive understanding of what makes successful entrepreneurs different at a neurological level.
“As we continue to explore the role of the brain in entrepreneurship, this study represents an important advance in the field of neuroentrepreneurship,” concludes Frédéric Ooms.
If you are interested in contributing to these pioneering studies at the intersection of business and neuroscience, please click on this link.
On this cognitive flexibility and entrepreneurship research reports
Author: Didier Moreau
Source: University of Liège
Contact: Didier Moreau – University of Liège
Picture: Image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Entrepreneurial Neuroanatomy: Examining Gray Matter Volume in Habitual Entrepreneurs” by Frédéric Ooms et al. Journal of Business Venturing Insights
Abstract
Entrepreneurial neuroanatomy: Exploring gray matter volume in ordinary entrepreneurs
A growing body of research examines the relationship between cognitive flexibility and entrepreneurship. In particular, studies have found positive associations between cognitive flexibility and entrepreneurial intentions and vigilance (Dheer and Lenartowicz, 2019; Jiatong et al., 2021).
Similarly, Shepherd (2015) also highlighted the importance of cognitive flexibility for starting and developing entrepreneurial activities.
Studies have also shown that cognitive flexibility contributes to, among other things, increased creativity, innovation and information seeking (Kiss et al., 2020).
Taken together, this body of research provides evidence for the importance of cognitive flexibility in business, where the ability to adapt, switch between different concepts, and change strategies is critical.