Expanding the entrepreneurial mindset: ADHD, creativity and the cognitive bases of opportunity recognition in Brazil
Bruno de Souza Lessa, Rômulo Alves SoaresPurpose
This study investigates the relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits and entrepreneurial innovation among Brazilian entrepreneurs, examining mechanisms through which ADHD dimensions influence innovation via entrepreneurial traits and opportunity recognition.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative study was conducted with 353 Brazilian entrepreneurs across major metropolitan areas. Data were collected using validated scales measuring ADHD symptoms, creativity, risk propensity, opportunity recognition and innovation. Path analysis and bootstrapping procedures tested the theoretical model.
Findings
ADHD traits influence innovation through mediation chains involving entrepreneurial traits. Hyperactivity/Impulsivity was positively associated with creativity and risk propensity, while inattention linked positively to creativity. Creativity and risk propensity strongly predicted opportunity recognition, which fully mediated relationships with innovation.
Research limitations/implications
Cross-sectional data limit causal inferences. Future longitudinal and neuroscientific research could provide deeper insights into causal mechanisms and neurobiological foundations.
Practical implications
Brazilian entrepreneurs reporting elevated ADHD-related traits should leverage hyperactivity as a creativity source while developing structured opportunity evaluation approaches. Educational programs should adapt curricula for different cognitive styles, and organizations should implement evidence-based workplace accommodations to support neurodiverse entrepreneurs.
Social implications
Research demonstrates neurodiversity as an innovation source rather than an obstacle, supporting Brazilian entrepreneurial ecosystems that value cognitive diversity and address systemic barriers to inclusion.
Originality/value
This provides the first empirical model unpacking ADHD-innovation pathways in Brazilian entrepreneurship, moving beyond “advantage vs. disadvantage” debates to show how neurodiversity drives innovation in emerging markets while contributing to organizational diversity and inclusion frameworks.