Date of Conferral

9-7-2026

Date of Award

September 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Dana Shelton

Abstract

The entrepreneurial orientation of female veterans and current service members remains insufficiently understood despite their growing presence in the military and small-business sectors. Organizational leaders need to understand this concern as an important indicator of entrepreneurial potential, innovation capacity, and business development outcomes among women with military experience. Grounded in personality theory and the individual entrepreneurial orientation framework, this quantitative predictive correlational study examined whether the Big Five traits, individually and collectively, predicted individual entrepreneurial orientation (Ind-EO) among 135 U.S. female veterans and current female service members. They completed the Big Five Inventory-2 and the Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation Scale in a split-item format. The results of the standard multiple linear regression indicated that the Big Five personality traits collectively predicted entrepreneurial orientation, F(5, 129) = 24.43, p < .001, accounting for 48.1% of the variance (R² = .481, adjusted R² = .461). Extraversion (β = .558, p < .001), open-mindedness (β = .335, p < .001), conscientiousness (β = .160, p = .043), and agreeableness (β = −.322, p < .001) were significant predictors of entrepreneurial orientation, whereas negative emotionality was not (β = .031, p = .710). These results advance theoretical understanding of entrepreneurial orientation among female veterans by clarifying its association with personality traits. Implications for tangible social impact include the potential for organizational leaders to implement programs that foster greater economic empowerment and career resilience among female veterans, reduce identity-based barriers, and provide equitable access to veteran-focused entrepreneurial resources.

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