GET TEST

GENERAL ENTERPRISING TENDENCIES (GETs) TEST

INTRODUCTION

This test has been designed to bring together and measure a number of personal ‘tendencies’ commonly associated with enterprising persons.  These include: need for achievement; need for autonomy; creative tendency; risk taking; drive and determination.  The test has been developed and validated during research into a variety of measures used to assess entrepreneurship and enterprise.

However, ‘general enterprising tendency’ is a broader concept than ‘entrepreneurship’ and can be applied to people in many different situations, including those working in business support agencies, social and community enterprises, business organizations as well as those intending to start a business enterprise.  The test can be used to help in the recruitment of individuals to jobs and positions and to measure personal development during periods of training or practical experiences.

The development and validation of the GET Test is based largely on the work of Sally Caird* at Durham University Business School.

INSTRUCTIONS

The test is simple:

·         It will take about 10 minutes of your time to say if you agree or disagree with the attached list of statements.

·         There are not right or wrong answers.

*Caird S (1992), Problems with the identification of enterprise competencies and the implications for assessment and development, Management Education and Development. Vol.23, Part 1, pp. 6-17.

*Cromie S and O’Donhue J (1991), Research Note: Assessing Entrepreneurial Inclinations, International Small Business Journal, 10.2.2002

·         The statements are numbered 1 to 54 and these numbers are show in a grid of the Answer Sheet.

·         Against each number on the Answer Sheet circle an (A) if you agree with that statement or (D) if you disagree with it.

·         If you have trouble deciding if you agree or disagree absolutely, then answer on the basis of agreeing more than disagreeing or vice versa.

·         Don’t think too long about an answer.

·         Now you can start.

GET Test

1.    I would not mind routine unchallenging work if the pay is good

2.    When I have to set my own target for anything I set difficult ones

3.    I do not like to do things that are unconventional or novel

4.    Capable people who fail to become successful have not taken chances when they have occurred

5.    I rarely day dream

6.    I usually defend my point of view if someone disagrees with me

7.    One is either naturally good at something or not, effort makes no difference

8.    Sometimes people find my ideas unusual

9.    If I had to gamble 1000 shillings I would rather buy a lottery ticket than play cards

10. I like challenges that really stretch my abilities rather than things I can do easily

11. I would prefer to have a reasonable income in a job I was sure of keeping rather than in a job that I might lose if I did not perform well

12. I like to do things in my own way without worrying about what other people think

13. many of the bad times that people experience are due to bad luck

14. I like to find out about things even if it means handling some problems whilst doing so

15. If I am having problems with a task I leave it and move on to something else

16. When I make plans to do something I nearly always do what I plan

17. I do not like sudden changes in my life

18. I will take risks if the chances of success are 50/50

19. I think more of the present and the past than of the future

20. If I had a good idea for making some money I would be willing to borrow some money to enable me to do it

21. when I am in a group I am happy to let someone else take the lead

22. People generally get what they deserve

23. I do not like guessing

24. It is more important to do a job well than to try to please people

25. I will get what I want if I please the people who have control over me

26. Other people think that I ask a lot of questions

27. If there were a chance of failure then I would rather not do it

28. I get annoyed if people are not on time

29. Before I make a decision I like to have all the facts no matter how long it takes

30. When tackling a task I rarely need or want help

31. Success cannot come unless you are in the right place at the right time

32. I prefer to be quite good at several things rather than very good at one thing

33. I would rather work with a person I liked, but who was not very good at a job, than work with someone I did not like who was very good at the job

34. Being successful is the result of working hard, luck has nothing to do with it

35. I prefer doing thins in the usual way rather than trying out new ways

36. Before making an important decision, I prefer to weigh up the pro’s and con’s rather than spending a lot of time thinking about it

37. I would rather work on a task as a member of a team than take responsibility for myself

38. I would rather take an opportunity that might lead to even better things than have an experience that I am sure to enjoy

39. I do what is expected of me and follow instructions

40. For me, getting what I want has little do with luck

41. I like to have my life organized so that it runs smoothly and to plan

42. When I am faced with a challenge I think more about the results of succeeding than the effects of failing

43. I believe that what happens to me in life is determined mostly by other people

44. I can handle a lot of things at the same time

45. I find it difficult to ask favours of other people

46. I get up early, stay late or skip meals in order to get special tasks done

47. What I am accustomed to is usually better than what is unfamiliar

48. Most people think I am stubborn

49. People’s failures are rarely the result of their own poor judgement

50. Sometimes I have so many ideas I don’t know which one to pick

51. I find it easy to relax on holiday

52. I get what I want from life because I work hard to make it happen

53. It is harder for me to adapt to change than keep to routine

54. I like to start new projects that may be risky.

GET Test    Answer Sheet

46 A D	37 A D	28 A D	19 A D	10 A D	1 A D
47 A D	38 A D	29 A D	20 A D	11 A D	2 A D
48 A D	39 A D	30 A D	21 A D	12 A D	3 A D
49 A D	40 A D	31 A D	22 A D	13 A D	4 A D
50 A D	41 A D	32 A D	23 A D	14 A D	5 A D
51 A D	42 A D	33 A D	24 A D	15 A D	6 A D
52 A D	43 A D	34 A D	25 A D	16 A D	7 A D
53 A D	44 A D	35 A D	26 A D	17 A D	8 A D
54 A D	45 A D	36 A D	27 A D	18 A D	9 A D

GET Test – Calculating your score

1.       There are 9 rows on the Answer Sheet.  Across each row –

a)      First add up the number of D’s you have circled in the shaded boxes

b)      Then add up the number of A’s you have circled in the unshaded boxes

c)      Then add these two scores together and put the sum against Row 1 below

d)      Repeat this proves for each Row

2.       Row 1 …….            Row 2 ……             Row 3 ……

          Row 4 …….            Row 5 ……             Row 6 ……

          Row 7 …….            Row 8 ……             Row 9 ……

3.Add together the scores for Rows 1 and 6 for Section 1 …..          (Max 12 Average 9)

Row 3 alone gives you the score for Section 2 …                              (Max 6 Average 4)

Add together the scores for Rows 5 and 8 for Section 3…                (Max 12 Average 8)

Add together the scores for Rows 2 and 9 for Section 4…                 (Max 12 Average 8)

Add together the scores for Rows 4 and 7 for Section 5…                (Max 12 Average 8)

4.       If you have scored well in any Section you may have many if not all of the attributes in each Section of General Enterprising Tendencies below.