An Examination of the Combined Relationship of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Dyslexia With Entrepreneurial Intention

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Honors

Franklin University Dissertation Excellence Award - Winner (Summer 2023)

Date of Award

Summer 2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Committee Chair

Sherry Abernathy

Committee Member

Meir Russ

Committee Member

John Suozzi

Abstract

The relationship between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the reading disorder commonly referred to as dyslexia are often studied separately in connection to entrepreneurship. ADHD and dyslexia are often comorbid conditions, but their combined effect has not been studied within entrepreneurship. This quantitative study is one of the first attempts to measure the combined impact of ADHD and dyslexia on entrepreneurial intention (EI). It is hypothesized ADHD and other conditions, such as dyslexia, might facilitate a greater likelihood of EI. Graduate level students in the United States enrolled in at least one class in an Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), are surveyed. Three quantitative instruments used in prior studies are combined in a novel fashion. These three instruments are: (1). 5-point Likert 6-item Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-6; Kessler et al., 2005); (2) 20 items from the 7-point Likert Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire (EIQ; Liñán & Chen, 2009); and (3). 5-point Likert 6-item Adult Reading History Questionnaire Brief (ARHQ-Brief; Feng et al., 2022). This research answers a call for further studies into ADHD and comorbid conditions within the field of entrepreneurship (Logan, 2009; Wiklund et al., 2018a). This study finds statistically significant results in the levels of EI between those with comorbid ADHD and dyslexia and those with ADHD Only and No Condition. However, no statistical significance was detected in those with comorbid ADHD and dyslexia compared to those with Dyslexia Only. Therefore, the findings of this study suggest that it is the comorbid condition of dyslexia that strengthens the EI in post-secondary students in an AACSB-accredited business program. While this study fills a gap in the current research by identifying comorbidity through a novel research design, further research in different population samples may provide insight into how entrepreneurial intent is acquired and translated into innovative action.

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