The Effects of the Small Business Founder’s Need for Cognition on Early Stage Performance

This study assesses the relationship between the need for cognition and early stage organizational performance for a sample of small business owners who started new childcare ventures. Their need for cognition was assessed as a predictor of performance that was measured by sales growth. The data supported a significant positive relationship between need for cognition and performance as predicted. This study suggests that the cognitive characteristics of small business owners can influence the performance of their businesses.