Psychometric properties of Connor-Davidson Resilience ...

1 ISSN 0214 - 9915 CODEN PSOTEG. Psicothema 2013, Vol. 25, No. 2, 245-251. Copyright 2013 Psicothema doi: Psychometric properties of Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale in a Spanish sample of entrepreneurs Guadalupe Manzano-Garc a and Juan Carlos Ayala Calvo Universidad de La Rioja Abstract Resumen Background: The literature regarding entrepreneurship suggests that the Propiedades psicom tricas de la Escala de Resiliencia de Connor- Resilience of entrepreneurs may help to explain entrepreneurial success, davidson en una muestra de emprendedores espa oles. Antecedentes: but there is no Resilience measure widely accepted by researchers. This la literatura sugiere que la resiliencia de los emprendedores puede study analyzes the Psychometric properties of the Connor and davidson ayudar a explicar el xito de sus empresas. Sin embargo, no existe una Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) in a sample of Spanish entrepreneurs. medida de resiliencia ampliamente aceptada por los investigadores.

2 Este Method: A telephone survey research method was used. The participants trabajo analiza las propiedades psicom tricas de la escala de resiliencia were entrepreneurs operating in the business services sector. Interviewers de Connor y davidson (CD-RISC) en una muestra de emprendedores telephoned a total of 900 entrepreneurs of whom 783 produced usable espa oles. M todo: el m todo de investigaci n usado fue la encuesta questionnaires. The CD-RISC was used as data collection instrument. We telef nica. Participaron emprendedores que operan en el sector servicios. used principal component analysis factor and confirmatory factor analysis Los entrevistadores telefonearon a 900 emprendedores, de los cuales 783. to determine the factor structure of the CD-RISC. Results: Confirmatory rellenaron correctamente el cuestionario. El instrumento utilizado para la factor analysis failed to verify the original five-factor structure of the CD- recogida de datos fue el CD-RISC.

3 Usamos el an lisis de componentes RISC, whereas principal component analysis factor yielded a 3-factor principales y el an lisis factorial confirmatorio para determinar la structure of Resilience (hardiness, resourcefulness and optimism). In this estructura factorial del CD-RISC. Resultados: el an lisis confirmatorio research, of the total variance was accounted for by three factors, fall en la verificaci n de la estructura original de cinco factores del CD- and the obtained factor structure was verified through confirmatory factor RISC, mientras que en el an lisis de componentes principales emergieron analysis. Conclusions: The CD-RISC has been shown to be a reliable and tres factores de resiliencia (personalidad resistente, recursos y optimismo). valid tool for measuring entrepreneurs' Resilience . El 47,48% de la varianza fue explicada por los tres factores y la estructura Keywords: CD-RISC, entrepreneurs, Resilience , small business, Spain. factorial obtenida fue verificada a trav s del an lisis factorial confirmatorio.

4 Conclusiones: el CD-RISC ha mostrado ser una herramienta fiable y v lida para medir la resiliencia de los emprendedores. Palabras clave: CD-RISC, emprendedores, resiliencia, peque a empresa, Espa a. An entrepreneur is an individual with a special gift for is often associated with high stress, a multiplicity of obstacles, recognizing opportunities and the capacity to mobilize external and a high uncertainty regarding outcomes. Moreover, decision- resources, generally the property of others, in order to exploit said making in entrepreneurial settings often leads to various degrees of opportunities (S nchez, 2011). Interest in entrepreneurs is based error or misjudgments due to the simple fact that the information on their capacity to generate employment and their contribution available is either incomplete or ambiguous. To deal with these to the dynamism of the economy by means of the addition of new highly uncertainty situations, entrepreneurs often have to adjust firms to the business network (Tang & Koveos, 2004).

5 Their goals and strategies continually to keep up with changing The pursuit of the generation of value by entrepreneurial contingencies as the new venture develops. activities, through the creation or expansion of economic activity, As entrepreneurs encounter repeated obstacles with many uncertain outcomes, Resilience , or the ability to withstand and by identifying and exploiting new products, processes or markets quickly overcome adversity, would be an important personal advantage (Markman & Baron, 2003). Resilient entrepreneurs can Received: July 3, 2012 Accepted: November 9, 2012 explore and exploit opportunities because, when an unexpected Corresponding author: Guadalupe Manzano-Garc a event occurs, Resilience enables them to drop a venture or modify Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Jur dicas it to take advantage of the new situation. Universidad de La Rioja 26004 Logro o (Spain) The complexity of defining the construct of Resilience has been e-mail: widely recognized (Luthar, Cicchetti, & Becker, 2000), and this has 245.

6 Guadalupe Manzano-Garc a and Juan Carlos Ayala Calvo created considerable challenges when developing an operational adult Resilience are: the Resilience Scale in nursing literature;. definition of Resilience . Although a number of scales have been the Clinical Assessment Package for Assessing Client Risks and developed for measuring Resilience , they are not widely validated Strengths; the Ego Resilience Scale; and the Resilience Scale for (Windle, Bennert, & Noyes, 2011). Consequently researchers have Adults (Karairmak, 2010). little robust evidence to inform their choice of a Resilience measure Resilience measures commonly comprise self-report and and may make an inappropriate selection for the study of a specific have not been extensively validated, nor has their application population. been widely documented (Windle et al., 2011). Among these instruments, a newly developed scale has earned widespread Theoretical framework attention from researchers: the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) (Connor & davidson , 2003).

7 Interest in the CD-RISC. Resilience is a dynamic process in which the individual displays is due to its established Psychometric properties , on the one hand, positive adaptive skills despite experiencing significant traumatic and to the fact that it is applicable to different populations, as it was adversity; it is a measure of the ability to cope with stress. Assets not developed for a specific group, on the other. and resources within the individual, their life, and environment Connor and davidson (2003) performed exploratory factor facilitate this capacity for adaptation and bouncing back in the analysis, using a sample of 577 adults from the general population. face of adversity (Windle, Bennert, & Noyes, 2011). This analysis yielded five factors, labeled as personal competence, Resilient people unfalteringly accept reality, have an high standards, and tenacity; trust in one's instincts, tolerance of extraordinary ability to adapt to significant change, and deeply negative affect, and the strengthening effects of stress; positive believe that life is meaningful (Burns & Anstey, 2010).

8 Other acceptance of change and secure relationships with others; control qualities associated with Resilience are patience, tolerance of and spiritual influences. A preliminary study of the Psychometric negative affect, optimism, and faith. Resilience , or the capacity properties of the CD-RISC in general population and patient to rebound from adversity, strengthened and more resourceful, is samples supported its internal consistency and test-retest an important quality for entrepreneurs (Sutcliffe & Vogus, 2003). reliability. Cronbach's alpha was calculated as .89 for the general Resilience refers to entrepreneurs' ability, despite destabilizing population and, concerning test-retest reliability, the correlation events, difficult markets and living conditions, to continue projecting coefficient between Time 1 (M= ) and Time 2 (M= ) was themselves into the future. This capacity enables them to impede, .87 for the group with generalized anxiety disorders and trauma diminish or overcome the harmful effects of adversity.

9 In other and posttraumatic stress disorder (N= 24). words, it is entrepreneurs' ability to overcome especially difficult The CD-RISC has been tested on general population (Yu &. circumstances, thanks to their qualities of behavior and adaptation, Zhang, 2007), teenagers (Jorgensen & Seedat, 2008), graduate combined with the culture in which they are immersed. students (Singh & Yu, 2010), young adults (Burns & Anstey, According to London (1993) and Cooper, Estes, and Allen 2010), young women (Claus-Ehlers, 2008), older women (2004), resilient entrepreneurs: show a high tolerance for ambiguity, (Lamond et al., 2008), earthquake survivors (Karairmak, 2010), demonstrate that they are adaptable of changing circumstances, and nurses (Gillespie, Chaboyer, & Walli, 2007), etc. Nevertheless, welcome rather than resist changes; have a hardiness about them we are unaware of any study that has used the CD-RISC with a that comes from their willingness to work hard in order to reach sample that exclusively includes entrepreneurs.

10 Previous research their goals and aspirations; demonstrate determination in their quest has shown that the CD-RISC has good internal consistency: for success, particularly when encountering a major challenge. In values found for Cronbach alpha were above .70 (Yu & Zhang, doing so, they often respond to problems with more power and 2007; Singh & Yu, 2010). However, diverse studies have revealed more smarts ; are optimistic, they have a positive attitude, they a range of different factor structures. Therefore, the objective are able to learn from their mistakes and, where others see threats, of this study was to evaluate the Psychometric properties of the they see opportunities. Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) with the aim of Resilient entrepreneurs believe they can have a strengthening determining whether it can be used as a reliable and valid tool to effect, are more capable of adapting to change, can use past successes assess entrepreneurs' Resilience .