Does tolerance for ambiguity contribute to start-up success in India?

Abstract

Prevailing research in entrepreneurship emphasises many attributes that are needed for entrepreneurs to be successful. These attributes include need for achievement, risk taking, locus of control, and tolerance for ambiguity, industry knowledge, and sales skills. Bhide's detailed and in-depth study on start-ups in the context of USA has proposed that tolerance for ambiguity is critical for start-up success. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first empirical study on tolerance for ambiguity in the context of start-up success. In this study the authors explore the relevance of tolerance for ambiguity to start-up success. The authors have conducted personal interviews with forty start-up entrepreneurs in India. The paper concludes that tolerance for ambiguity does not make a significant contribution to start-up success in India.