**<mark>Summary (Section 2.2):</mark>** _<mark>The effects of stress on individuals through a high incidence of depression, anxiety and co‐morbid symptoms, as well as on firm performance — through the three pathways of depletion of psychological resources, erosion of a leader’s motivational role, and counterproductive work behavior(s) —make the prevalence of stress a mental health and a firm performance priority. That the prevalence, and hence the effects, are pronounced for SMEs is problematic because SMEs comprise a large percentage of enterprises worldwide, particularly in FCV contexts. Importantly, SMEs act as a driving force for economic growth, innovation, and job creation.</mark>_

# 2.3 Common Stressors

Factors that contribute to stress in entrepreneurs (stressors) can arise from various sources, including direct operational activities, professional and personal relationships, career prospects, organizational roles, non‐work factors, and the external environment (Cartwright and Cooper 1997; Quick and Quick 1984; and Schuler 1982). In a meta‐review of types of stressors, Grant and Ferris (2017) categorized the common sources of stress into six broad categories: (i) financial; (ii) interpersonal; (iii) internal/self‐induced; (iv) the job itself; (v) unpredictability/risks; and (vi) work‐ life balance (see Table 1 below).

**Table 1: Overview of Stressors from the Entrepreneurship Literature**

<!-- Start of picture text --> BROAD CATEGORY SUB‐CATEGORY AND TYPES PAPERS<br>Maintenance Competition, Innovation, business Feldman and Bolino 2000;<br>financing, sales/turnover, business Gumpert and Boyd 1984.<br>and operational<br>growth, maintaining a client base, and<br>stressors cash flow.<br><!-- End of picture text -->

|BROAD CATEGORY|SUB‐CATEGORY AND TYPES|PAPERS||
|---|---|---|---|
|Maintenance<br>and operational<br>stressors|Competition,<br>Innovation,<br>business<br>financing,<br>sales/turnover,<br>business<br>growth, maintaining a client base, and<br>cash flow.|Feldman and Bolino<br>Gumpert and Boyd 19|2000;<br>84.|
|Interpersonal<br>stressors|a) Isolation, for example, a lack of<br>social support and loneliness;<br>b) Team/staff problems, for example,<br>conflict with business partners,<br>customers/clients, or subordinates;<br>and<br>c) Management/supervision<br>issues,<br>for example, recruiting/developing<br>employees, doing work that should<br>be delegated, getting others to<br>‘make it happen’, and ‘weak links’.|Akande 1994; Boyd<br>Gumpert 1983; Buttne<br>Chay<br>1993;<br>Eden<br>Feldman and Bolino<br>Fernet and others<br>Gumpert and Boyd<br>Lewin‐Epstein<br>Yuchtman‐Yaar 1991;<br>and others 2000; Na<br>1987;<br>Parasuraman<br>Simmers 2001; Parasu<br>and others 1996; Prott<br>Thompson 2006; and<br>e and others 1990.|and<br>r 1992;<br>1975;<br>2000;<br>2016;<br>1984;<br>and<br>Tetrick<br>ughton<br> <br>and<br>raman<br>as and<br>Stoner|

<!-- Start of picture text --> a) Isolation, for example, a lack of Akande 1994; Boyd and<br>social support and loneliness; Gumpert 1983; Buttner 1992;<br>Chay 1993; Eden 1975;<br>b) Team/staff problems, for example,<br>Feldman and Bolino 2000;<br>conflict with business partners,<br>Fernet and others 2016;<br>customers/clients, or subordinates;<br>Gumpert and Boyd 1984;<br>and<br>Interpersonal Lewin‐Epstein and<br>stressors c) Management/supervision issues, Yuchtman‐Yaar 1991; Tetrick<br>for example, recruiting/developing and others 2000; Naughton<br>employees, doing work that should 1987; Parasuraman and<br>be delegated, getting others to Simmers 2001; Parasuraman<br>‘make it happen’, and ‘weak links’. and others 1996; Prottas and<br>Thompson 2006; and Stoner<br>e and others 1990.<br><!-- End of picture text --> 14