NELSON MANDELA UNIVERSITY
School for Industrial Psychology and Human Resources
The Generous Entrepreneur: a Psychobiographical Study Exploring
Entrepreneurship in Ellen DeGeneres.
Research proposal submitted by Jim Carter
(215058965)
In partial fulfilment for the degree of
Honours in Industrial and Organisational Psychology
Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences
Date
20 April 2018
Supervisor: Ms. Romisha Singh
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ELLEN DEGENERES i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract......................................................................................................................... 1
Definition of operational terms ................................................................................... 2
Research context .......................................................................................................... 3
Problem statement ........................................................................................... 3
Overview of psychobiography ........................................................................ 3
Overview Schumpeter’s entrepreneurship theory ........................................ 3
Overview of Ellen DeGeneres ......................................................................... 4
Research aim and objectives ....................................................................................... 4
Research Methodology ................................................................................................ 5
Qualitative research design ............................................................................. 5
Research procedure and data collection ........................................................ 5
Method of data analysis ................................................................................... 5
Trustworthiness................................................................................................ 6
Limitations of the study ................................................................................... 6
Ethical considerations...................................................................................... 7
Dissemination of results/findings ................................................................................ 7
Outline of the treatise, research schedule and budget .............................................. 7
REFERENCE LIST ..................................................................................................... 9
APPENDIX A: LETTER OF CONSENT ................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
APPENDIX B: 12 STEP APPROACH TO PSYCHOBIOGRAPHY ................... 12
APPENDIX C: PLAGIARISM LETTER ................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ELLEN DEGENERES
ii
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Definition of operational terms ........................................................ 2
Table 2: Treatise outline .................................................................................. 7
Table 3: Research schedule ............................................................................. 8
Table 4: Budget ................................................................................................ 8
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ELLEN DEGENERES 1
Abstract
In today’s immensely competitive and fast-paced business domain, entrepreneurs have
become an indispensable ingredient for economic development. This lead to the aim of
this study, which was to conduct a psychobiography of the famous American
entrepreneur, Ellen DeGeneres (1958-present). The psychobiographical research
technique qualitatively focuses on the single case of Ellen DeGeneres’s life in an
attempt to understand her entrepreneurial development in the context of the applied
entrepreneurship theory. Specific focus is placed on entrepreneurial characteristics and
entrepreneurial motives to act. Ellen DeGeneres was selected as the research subject
through purposive sampling, on the basis of interest, value, and uniqueness to the
researcher. The thematic data analysis approach will be used during the research
process, subsequently, this method will be used to systematically link Schumpeter’s
entrepreneurship theory to the life of Ellen DeGeneres specifically, her entrepreneurial
development.
Keywords: Schumpeter, Ellen DeGeneres, Psychobiography, Entrepreneurship.
Schumpeter stated that “entrepreneurs create innovations in the face of
competition and thereby generate economic growth” (Tülüce and Yurtkur, 2015,
p.720). Thus, this has led to the following questions: what characteristics classify the
typical entrepreneur and what motivates or drives entrepreneurs to act/perform?
The entrepreneurship theory that will be employed is uncommonly used in
psychobiographical research of a single individual. To date, there have been no
psychobiographical research studies conducted on Ellen DeGeneres and the outcomes
of this study could be used for further theory development.
This proposal contains an introduction to the research study by providing a brief
overview of psychobiography, a short description of the life of Ellen DeGeneres, and
an overview of Schumpeter’s entrepreneurship theory. The aim and objectives of the
research are presented, followed by the research methodology to be used. The
dissemination of the results/findings and an outline of the treatise, a research schedule
and a research budget brings the proposal to a conclusion.
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ELLEN DEGENERES 2
Definition of operational terms
The table below contains the definitions of operational terms to be used in this
document.
Table 1: Definition of operational terms
Entrepreneurs An individual who attempts to make a profit by
taking risks and by making use of initiative (Burns, 2016).
Entrepreneurs “Individuals who exploit market opportunities
(Schumpeter) through technical and/or organizational innovation”
(Schumpeter, 1965 as cited by Eroğlu and Piçak, 2011, p.
146).
Exploratory-descriptive A research approach which researchers use in order
to examine and explore new or relatively new topics of
interests with the purpose of describing or depicting an
accurate and valid representation of the factors or variables
that are relevant to the research question (van Wyk, 2012;
Babbie, 2013).
Purposive sampling A form of non-probability sampling where the
components to be observed is selected based on the
researcher’s judgment about which ones will be the most
valuable or representative (Babbie, 2013).
Qualitative single-case Qualitative research is a social science research
design method which makes use of non-numerical data in order to
ultimately interpret and understand social life through the
study of targeted populations or places (Crossman, 2018).
Single case refers to an experimental design
method which can be conducted with the focus one subject
or an entire group treated as a single subject (Mills,
Durepos & Wiebe, 2010).
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ELLEN DEGENERES 3
Research context
Problem statement
As Schumpeter’s theory is uncommonly used in psychobiographical research
and, to date, there are no current psychobiographical studies on Ellen DeGeneres this
treatise adds to academia as a relatively new perspective. Thus, the outcomes of this
study could be used for further theory development.
Overview of psychobiography
Initially, psychobiography has been defined by Runyan (1982, p.201) as “the
explicit use of formal or systematic psychology in biography”. This definition has
however expanded over time and psychobiography is now described as “the intensive
life-span study of an individual of historic significance in socio-cultural context using
psychological and historiographic research methods and interpreted from established
theories of psychology” (Ponterotto, 2015, p.382). Alexander (1988) places great
emphasis on the fact that psychobiographies should provide explanations relating to
aspects of the research subjects life history which cannot be simply derived by making
use of simple psychological philosophies and principles, or with the use of common
sense.
According to Ponterotto, Reynolds, Moral and Cheunga (2015),
psychobiographical research draws on two academic disciplines namely: psychology,
by drawing on theories of human development and personality across the lifespan of an
individual (Runyan, 1982; Elms, 1994 Ponterotto, 2014), and history, by drawing on
biographic, historiographic, and hagiographic methods (Runyan, 1982; Elms, 1994;
Ponterotto, 2014), making it interdisciplinary in nature.
Overview Schumpeter’s entrepreneurship theory
Based on Schumpeter entrepreneurship theory, entrepreneurship is innovation
as well as the actualisation thereof (Sledzik, 2013). According to Schumpeter's theory
typical characteristics of entrepreneurs include intelligence, alertness, energy, and
determination (Sledzik, 2013).
Besides an entrepreneur talent and will to act Schumpeter defines three motives
to act (Sledzik, 2013, p.93), namely:
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ELLEN DEGENERES 4
1. The desire to create own kingdom.
2. The desire for gain.
3. The joy of creation, to achieve something, or just to exercise the energy and
ingeniousness.
In this study, an attempt will be made to classify Ellen DeGeneres as an
entrepreneur according to these characteristics as well as to relate the entrepreneurial
motives to act to her life.
Overview of Ellen DeGeneres
Although Ellen DeGeneres is a well-known public figure, businesswoman, and
well-publicised, none of the literature available is psychologically focused and to date,
there has been no formalised academic psychobiographical research done on the life of
Ellen DeGeneres.
On 26 January 1958, Ellen DeGeneres is born in Jefferson, Louisiana at the
Ochsner Foundation Hospital (Iannucci, 2009). With a net worth of approximately $400
million and an annual salary of approximately $75 million (Celebrity Net Worth, 2018),
various successful business ventures behind her name, and taking into account that she
is her own brand, Ellen DeGeneres can be labelled as an entrepreneur to keep an eye
on. Not only is Ellen financially successful but, she has also received the Presidential
Medal of Freedom, which is America’s highest civil honour (Gutierrez-Morfin, 2016;
Rhodan, 2016).
Despite her success and being her own brand (ED by Ellen, 2015), Ellen
DeGeneres is not frequently listed as a famous female entrepreneur, but rather as a high
earning celebrity. Thus, a psychobiographical approach to studying Ellen DeGeneres’s
entrepreneurial development has value and will aid Schumpeter’s entrepreneurship
theory, by providing a clear link between theory and reality.
Research aim and objectives
The aim of this research project is to explore entrepreneurial drivers/motives,
and characteristics of entrepreneurs in relation to Ellen DeGeneres. Thus, exploring and
describing how Schumpeter’s entrepreneurship theory impacts and relates to the
entrepreneurial development of Ellen DeGeneres.
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ELLEN DEGENERES 5
The purpose of this study is to explore and describe how Schumpeter’s
entrepreneurship theory impacts and relates to the life of Ellen DeGeneres.
Research Methodology
Qualitative research design
As this psychobiographical study focusses on the life of Ellen DeGeneres
according to Runyan (1988) it could be described as life history research by making use
of a qualitative single-case design (Yin, 2003). Furthermore, the psychobiographical
case study will follow an exploratory-descriptive design making use of purposive
sampling (Pontero and Reynolds, 2017; Dudovskiy, 2018).
Research procedure and data collection
The research procedure to be followed for this psychobiographical study is the
12-step approach to psychobiography (see Appendix B) by Du Plessis (2017), which is
broadly based on the phases of qualitative data analysis as established by Miles,
Huberman and Saldana (2014).
This approach consists out of four phases namely, data collection, data
condensation, data display, conclusion drawing and verification (Du Plessis, 2017).
Data collection ideally consists of primary sources, information made publically
available by the research subject, as well as secondary sources, reliable information
made available by other sources. In this case, data used will mostly be biographical and
publically available such as, video interviews done with Ellen DeGeneres as well as
written articles and books about Ellen DeGeneres that have been published.
Data collection for this research will be guided by the following research
questions:
1. Are Schumpeter’s motivations to act/perform applicable to Ellen DeGeneres?
2. Does Ellen DeGeneres fit the profile of an entrepreneur?
Method of data analysis
There are multiple ways in which case study data can be analysed, however, for
the purpose of this research project a thematic approach will be used.
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ELLEN DEGENERES 6
According to Lapadat, Mills, Durepos and Elden (2010), Alhojailan (2012), and
Nowell, Norris, White and Moules (2017), thematic analysis can be described as a
systematic method to analyse qualitative data. The thematic analysis takes place by
identifying themes or patterns in data then, coding and categorizing the data according
to established themes, and finally interpreting the subsequent thematic arrangements by
looking for common ground, predominant patterns and connexions, descriptive
principles, or theoretical concepts (Lapadat et al., 2010).
Trustworthiness
There are numerous constructs to establish trustworthiness in research but
according to Lincoln and Guba (1985), Anney (2014), constructs such as validity,
reliability and objectivity are not suitable constructs for qualitative research.
Alternatively, the following constructs were identified in order to establish
trustworthiness within psychobiographical research: credibility, transferability, and
confirmability (De Vos, Strydom, Fouche and Delport, 2005; Anney, 2014; Gunawan,
2015; Moon, Brewer, Januchowski-Hartley, Adams, and Blackman, 2016).
Credibility refers to the degree to which the results pertaining to the research
represents the authentic meanings of the participants at hand (Guba, 1981; Lincoln and
Guba, 1985) thus, the researcher has placed emphasis on establishing results are that
credible or believable from the perspective of the participant taking part in the research.
Transferability in the context of psychobiography refers to the degree to which
the findings or results described in one study can be generalized and are valid or useful
to theory, practice, and future research (Lincoln and Guba, 1985; Yin, 1994). Thus, it
simply relates to the degree transferability of the research outcomes to other
frameworks (Lincoln and Guba, 1985; Yin, 1994).
Confirmability relates to the degree to which results can be confirmed or
verified by others. Thus, to achieve confirmability, the researcher must ensure that the
results are clearly linked to the conclusions made in such a manner that it can be
followed and, as a procedure, duplicated (Moon et al., 2016).
Limitations of the study
The main limitation prevalent in psychobiographical research is r esearcher bias.
Due to the long-term, in-depth study of an individual‘s life, this may cause the
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ELLEN DEGENERES 7
researcher to experience a personal and/or subjective reaction towards the research
subject (Babbie, 2014). Addressing personal biases can be addressed by increasing self-
awareness, conscientious research and by employing an assortment of procedural
guidelines (Schultz, 2005). The researcher will address the issue by means of
conscientious consultation with her research supervisor.
Ethical considerations
According to Runyan (1982), Jelsma and Clow (2005) and Pontero and
Reynolds (2017), there are numerous ethical issues and responsibilities at hand when
conducting psychobiographical research. The fundamental ethical issues to be faced
while concluding research include intrusion of privacy and the probable impairment or
embarrassment of the research subject (Babbie, 2014).
In an attempt to avoid these ethical concerns the following steps will be taken.
Firstly the researcher will request consent from the research subject by means of a
consent form which can be found in Appendix A. Furthermore, the researcher places
great importance on not harming the research subjects’ image by portraying the subject
in the most positive possible light.
Dissemination of results/findings
It is envisioned that the findings of this research project would be released in
the form of an academic treatise in partial fulfilment of the researchers’ degree.
Furthermore, a copy of the treatise will be forwarded to Ellen DeGeneres.
Outline of the treatise, research schedule and budget
An outline of this treatise can be found in the table below.
Table 2: Treatise outline
Chapter 1: Research Proposal
Chapter 2: Literature Review
Chapter 3: Method
Chapter 4: Findings and Discussion
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ELLEN DEGENERES 8
Chapter 5: Conclusion
Table two below depicts a timeframe to the completion of this treatise.
Table 3: Research schedule
Chapter 1: Research Proposal April 2018
Chapter 2: Literature Review May 2018
Chapter 3: Method July 2018
Chapter 4: Findings and discussion August 2018
Chapter 5: Conclusion September 2018
Finalisation of Treatise October 2018
The budget for this treatise is as outlined in the table below.
Table 4: Budget
Stationary R 500
Printing & binding R 1 800
Data sourcing R 1 500
Transport R 1 000
Editing R 900
Total R 4 800
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ELLEN DEGENERES 9
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THE ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ELLEN DEGENERES 12
APPENDIX B: 12 STEP APPROACH TO PSYCHOBIOGRAPHY
Steps in conducting a psychobiography.
(Source: Du Plessis, 2017, pg.222)
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ELLEN DEGENERES 13