Psychology of Entrepreneurship

About the course

Emner

Iværksætteri

Course content

This course examines the psychology underlying entrepreneurship, with a focus on the individuals involved in these processes. Drawing on the latest research, the course explores the psychological foundations of entrepreneurship, including the personality, biology, and social identity of entrepreneurs, and considers whether entrepreneurial abilities are innate or developed. It also investigates how entrepreneurs make decisions under uncertainty, leveraging cognitive strategies such as working memory, growth mindset, and heuristics to recognize and exploit opportunities creatively.

Key topics include the emotional and motivational drivers of entrepreneurial action, such as passion for founding or growing ventures and the experience of grief from business failures.

The course explores the psychological underpinnings of entrepreneurial preconditions, processes, and outcomes within both startups and established businesses.

See course description in course catalogue

What you will learn

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Develop a comprehensive understanding of the traits and characteristics that distinguish successful and unsuccessful entrepreneurs, considering factors such as biology, personality, identity, cognition, motivation, emotion, and behavior.
Acquire in-depth knowledge of the theoretical frameworks underlying the psychology of entrepreneurship, encompassing multiple perspectives that explain the preconditions, processes, and outcomes of entrepreneurship at the individual level. Reflect critically on the practical applications and relevance of these theories to entrepreneurial practice.
Analyze both the positive (e.g., well-being, satisfaction, wealth) and negative (e.g., stress, burnout, failure) aspects of entrepreneurship, recognizing its complexity as a multi-level and multi-dimensional phenomenon.
Understand the psychological aspects of social entrepreneurship and its role in modern society. Utilize this understanding to identify and assess individual entrepreneurial traits and to propose actionable recommendations for sustainable entrepreneurship and meaningful social impact.

Course prerequisites

No prerequisites

Facts

Level

Bachelor

Type

Valgfag

ECTS

7,5

Code

BHAAV2504U

Teaching periods

Efterår – semester

Academic year

2025/2026

Status

Available places

Teaching language

English

Teaching Format

På campus

Exams

Skriftlig eksamen på campus
Individual exam, vinter

Assessment type

7-trins skala