Sweat for success : pathways between entrepreneurs’ physical exercise, grit, well-being and firm performance

Drnovšek, Mateja (author), Slavec Gomezel, Alenka (author)

Purpose - The aim of this study is to conceptualise and test the role of physical exercise and entrepreneurial grit as a critical personal resource in maintaining entrepreneurs' well-being and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach - This study uses data from multiple sources collected at different points in time. It combines self-reported data collected from a sample of 203 entrepreneurs with lagged objective financial performance data of their firms over 4 years. Using structural equation modelling the authors describe the effects of grit and different types of physical exercise on entrepreneurs' well-being and firm performance. Findings - The study finds that grit mediates the relationship between moderate-to-vigorous physical exercise and the entrepreneur's well-being. The authors also demonstrate a non-linear effect between exercise and subjective well-being, suggesting diminishing returns of exercise at very high levels. Finally, the study finds that the entrepreneur's well-being has a significant impact on organisational performance over time. Originality/value - This study's theorising and empirical testing integrates disparate strands of literature on entrepreneurial well-being and firm performance by clarifying the micro-processes at the entrepreneur level that influence firm performance in the long term.

• Language: English
• Keywords: entrepreneurs, recreation, health, well-being, company performance, physical exercise, grit, firm performance
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: EF - School of Economics and Business
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 26-48
• Numbering: Vol. 32, no. 11
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-177837
• UDC: 658
• ISSN on article: 1355-2554
• DOI: 10.1108/IJEBR-12-2024-1387
• COBISS.SI-ID: 263009795
• Publication date in RUL: 09.01.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: International journal of entrepreneurial behavior & research
• Shortened title: Int. j. entrep. behav. res.
• Publisher: Emerald
• ISSN: 1355-2554
• COBISS.SI-ID: 2370332

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: podjetnik, rekreacija, zdravje, dobro počutje, poslovanje podjetja