A multidisciplinary research team has found evidence of an increase in neural connections in the brains of entrepreneurs. Scientists suggest that this may contribute to the formation of various cognitive properties.
Entrepreneurs and managers participated in this groundbreaking study an interdisciplinary research group led by HEC — the School of Management of the University of Liege and the University Hospital of Liege (Belgium), bringing together entrepreneurship researchers and brain specialists.
Using resting functional magnetic resonance imaging, scientists found that serial entrepreneurs have a higher connection between the right insula (associated with cognitive flexibility) and the anterior prefrontal cortex (a key area for research selection) compared to ordinary people.
The results, published in the journal Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, suggest that serial entrepreneurs have greater cognitive flexibility, which allows them to effectively alternate exploration and exploitation, that is, strike a balance that is crucial for their success.
“By emphasizing the difference in cognitive agility, we open the prospect of developing training or professional development programs aimed at improving this very cognitive agility and the entrepreneurial spirit of people in various organizations,” said Professor Bernard Surlemont, one from the authors of the study.