Performance, stress hormone level and mental functioning within entrepreneurs at risk of insolvency: Evaluation of a coaching program (InsoCoach)

中小企业对经济增长做出了巨大贡献。然而，与大公司相比，流动率低、雇员人数少的中小企业更容易受到市场波动的影响，例如竞争加剧和成本增加。中小企业企业家在面临财务问题时，往往行动较晚。他们试图应对即将到来的危机的速度越慢，他们的决策权就越受限制，破产的可能性就越高。此外，众所周知，面临潜在破产的企业家会经历极端的财务、情感和认知压力。这种巨大的压力导致他们在决策和自我调节过程中出现缺陷，这反过来又加速了破产进程，对企业家造成了重大伤害。因此，本研究项目的核心目标是分析144名中小企业企业家即将破产的影响。金融危机的后果将首次从生物学、心理学和认知学的角度进行纵向和同步分析。具体而言，将比较资不抵债企业家和资不抵债企业家（对照组）的健康、认知功能和自我领导能力。此外，资不保身的企业家将参加心理健全、专业的辅导，提升健康、工作能力和自我领导能力。该培训计划将扩展传统的破产咨询，通常只包括法律和经济方面。将评估辅导干预对资不抵债企业家的生理、心理和认知功能的影响。

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) contribute substantially to economic growth. However, when compared to large companies SMEs characterized by low turnover rates and small number of employees are more susceptible to market fluctuations as for instance grow-ing competition and costs. When faced with financial problems, entrepreneurs of SMEs typi-cally act rather late. The slower they try to counteract the upcoming crisis, the more restricted their decision authority and the higher the likelihood for insolvency. Moreover, it is known that entrepreneurs who face potential insolvency experience extreme financial, emotional and cognitive strain. Such enormous strain results in deficits concerning their decision-making and self-regulation processes that, in turn, accelerate the insolvency process and harm entrepreneurs substantially. Therefore, the core objective of this research project is to analyze the impact of impending insolvency within 144 entrepreneurs in SMEs. For the first time, the consequences of a financial crisis will be analyzed longitudinally and simultaneously from biological, psychological and cognitive perspectives. Specifically, health, cognitive functioning and self-leadership of insolvent and solvent entrepreneurs (control group) will be compared. Moreover, insolvent entrepreneurs will participate in a psychologically sound, professional coaching promoting health, working ability and self-leadership capacity. This coaching program will extend traditional insolvency consulting that typically includes only legal and economic aspects. The effects of the coaching intervention on biological, psychological and cognitive functioning of insolvent entrepreneurs will be evaluated.