The Independent Social Worker as Entrepreneur

Abstract

A sample of 126 independent social work practitioners from across Canada were surveyed about their personal characteristics. Need for achievement, locus of control, risk-taking and tolerance for ambiguity were measured and compared with results reported for entrepreneurs. The results suggested that self-employed social workers possess characteristics similar to the general population of entrepreneurs, but the degree of similarity varied depending upon the characteristics under examination. It was concluded that entrepreneurs are a heterogeneous group. Possible areas of further research are identified.