Fanning Understanding Risk Propensity

Assessment Tool for Determining Risk Propensity Leadership

(Risk Propensity, Innovation and Community/region Networking: McCline et al, 2014)

Before beginning to take part in the following survey, please understand that your participation is completely voluntary. You can refuse to participate or stop taking part at any time without giving any reason, and without penalty or loss of benefits to which you might otherwise be entitled. If you decide to stop or withdraw from the survey process, the information collected from you up to the point of your withdrawal will be kept as part of the survey data and may continue to be analyzed, unless you make a written request to remove, return, or destroy the information that can be identified as yours.

The purpose of this survey is to improve our understanding of how “Risk Propensity” i.e., “willingness to take a risk,” plays a role in community and regional leadership development.

No personal risk or discomfort is foreseen because of your participation in this survey process. The following statements are intended to improve our understanding of how you see yourself and the larger community and region of which you are a part in terms of risk propensity. There is no right or wrong response to the following statements. Just answer with your first thought and response to ALL the statements. Please note that all information is confidential and individual feedback on your survey responses will be provided to you ONLY. We will have individual summaries available upon request.

Please provide your contact information below so that we can retrieve your individual responses. We will report out to the general community and region only aggregated data which will not allow your individual data to be discerned. This aggregated data will be useful to all as a benchmark on how your personal attitude toward risk taking compares to the collective attitude about risk taking in the community/region in which you live. As we gather more data, you will also be able to see how your community stands on this particular attitude versus other communities and regions in our state. No individual or personal data will be identifiable in our overall community or region level analysis. Full citations for the research that was used to develop the survey tool below are available upon request.

Instruction: Please indicate how much you agree with each of the following statements by selecting a number between 1 and 7 where: • 1 indicates that you STRONGLY DISAGREE with the statements, and • 7 indicates that you STRONGLY AGREE with the statement. Please work as quickly as you can, and do not stop to think too deeply about any one question, just mark down your first thought. Please respond to all of the statements. The statements are designed to capture YOUR thinking. Remember… this is your opinion and cannot be right or wrong… just your view. There are no right or wrong responses. Just give your first thoughts.

Assessment must be completed by 5pm Wednesday, April 19, 2023.

Name

Section 1 1 = Strongly Disagree; 4 = Neither Disagree Nor Agree; 7 = Strongly Agree
1: Most people in this region are willing to spend public funds on new projects, even if it means raising taxes.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
2: I would accept a job that is paid solely based on commission.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
3: It does not take me long to snap back when something bad happens.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
4: If I feel that the chance of failure is high, I would not start my own business.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
5: I generally prefer unforeseen excitement to predictable security.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
6: In this region, networking with others is easy.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
7: Athletes should not be punished if they are only using steroids to improve their performance in a game.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8: I believe that communities which don’t experience radical changes now and then tend to get stuck in a rut.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
9: Folks in this region normally take a cautious “wait-and-see” position in order to minimize making decisions that cost more financial resources than anticipated.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
10: Generally, people in my community prefer the status quo where there are few changes going on.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

Section 2 1 = Strongly Disagree; 4 = Neither Disagree Nor Agree; 7 = Strongly Agree
1: I rarely put myself in positions in which I might lose something important to me.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
2: My professional network includes individuals who primarily look like me in terms of race, culture and background.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
3: I will do whatever it takes to win, even if I must bend the rules a little.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
4: When facing a decision with uncertain outcomes, my potential losses are my greatest concerns.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
5: I get real excited when I think of new ideas that change how we do things.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
6: I don't mind taking chances with things that are important to me.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
7: I have a positive self-concept and confidence in my strengths and abilities.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8: I tend to take a long time to get over set-backs in my life.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
9: Taking business risks makes good sense.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
10: I continually look for new ways to do things in this community/region.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

Section 3 1 = Strongly Disagree; 4 = Neither Disagree Nor Agree; 7 = Strongly Agree
1: I do not like to express my opinion even if most people have opposite views.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
2: I prefer a clearly structured daily schedule with no surprises.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
3: I systematically plan to use my personal network in this region in order to become a successful entrepreneur.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
4: Folks in my community are reluctant to make changes.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
5: I tend to imagine the unfavorable outcomes of my actions.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
6: I admit if my taste differs from that of my friends.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
7: If I believe in something, I will make it happen.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8: I take time to buckle my seat belt.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
9: This region is getting to become too diverse.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
10: I would like to or have tried bungee jumping at least once.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

Section 4 1 = Strongly Disagree; 4 = Neither Disagree Nor Agree; 7 = Strongly Agree
1: Political differences strongly inhibit people working together in this region.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
2: I seldom follow instructions unless the task I am working on is very complex.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
3: I avoid uncertain situations because I may lose something valuable to me.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
4: I usually seek out friends and acquaintances that are excited about exploring new ways of doing things.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
5: I like to experience novelty and change in my daily life.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
6: Decision making in my community tends to always be much slower than other communities around us.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
7: If I believe in an idea, no obstacle will prevent me from making it happen.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8: Success in business is really a matter of luck.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
9: I avoid uncertain situations because I may lose something valuable to me.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
10: I cheat on my income tax.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

Section 5 1 = Strongly Disagree; 4 = Neither Disagree Nor Agree; 7 = Strongly Agree
1: I often get up in the middle of the night to make sure all my doors at home are locked.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
2: I get excited when I am able to approach a task in unusual ways.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
3: The customer base that my business serves must be bigger than just this region.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
4: I usually come through difficulty times with little trouble.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
5: To become a successful leader in this community/region you must spend some time every day developing new opportunities.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
6: Behavior in my community is more about maintaining old relationships than welcoming new ideas and new people.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
7: I argue with a friend if we have different opinions.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8: In order to succeed, one must conform to the accepted practices in this community/region.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
9: My business has a noticeable impact on this region.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
10: I would not hesitate to cheat at cards in a casino.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

Section 6 1 = Strongly Disagree; 4 = Neither Disagree Nor Agree; 7 = Strongly Agree
1: I generally prefer unforeseen excitement to predictable security.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
2: Folks in this region want to work together to make this a better place to live.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
3: I do take chances with my career choices.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
4: I speak my mind about unpopular issues at social occasions.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
5: my community residents do not hesitate to take risk and make changes that they think are needed to make this a better place for everyone.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
6: The communities of my community only take ‘baby steps’ when it makes changes in what we do here.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
7: It is hard for me to snap back when something bad happens.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8: I have confidence in my ability do things that others may call reckless.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
9: In general people in my community define success in terms of taking no risks.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
10: My professional network in this region includes individuals who don’t look like me in terms of race and ethnicity.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

Section 7 1 = Strongly Disagree; 4 = Neither Disagree Nor Agree; 7 = Strongly Agree
1: High-risk investments are an opportunity to lose large amounts of money.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
2: I wear unconventional clothes when I walk around my community.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
3: I feel restricted being tied down to old ways of doing things.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
4: I would choose a $3,000 annual raise over a $10,000 bonus.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
5: I try to do the right thing even if no one is looking.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
6: People in my community avoid discussing difficult issues such as race, ethnicity and religion.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
7: I speak my mind about unpopular issues in my community.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8: I have the ability to make realistic plans for the future as I work on today’s issues.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
9: I'm very cautious when I make plans that involve my health and safety.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
10: I normally take a cautious “wait-and-see” position in order to minimize the hazard of making costly erroneous decisions.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

Section 8 1 = Strongly Disagree; 4 = Neither Disagree Nor Agree; 7 = Strongly Agree
1: I love being a champion for my ideas, even against others’ opposition.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
2: People in this community speak up even if they have unpopular opinions.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
3: I have confidence in my ability recover from my mistakes, no matter how big they are.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
4: I would invest 10% of my annual income in stocks that might go way up or way down.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
5: We currently work quite well as a region to solve problems.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
6: I save a little money by taking office supplies from work to my home business.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
7: My decisions tend to be made carefully.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8: In my work I tend to only set small goals so that I can achieve them without difficulty.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
9: I often approach issues in this community in unique and different ways.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
10: My work is well supported by the network of friends and acquaintances I have in this region.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

Section 9 1 = Strongly Disagree; 4 = Neither Disagree Nor Agree; 7 = Strongly Agree
1: If forced to choose, I take safety over something new.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
2: This region welcomes me because of the needs that I am satisfying through my work and contributions.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
3: my community strongly supports new businesses that are opening up here.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
4: I would openly disagree with my boss in front of my coworkers.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
5: I follow the motto, 'nothing ventured, nothing gained.'	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
6: In this region, people are willing to stick their necks out and take a financial risk on things that have not been tried here before.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
7: I tend to bounce back quickly after hard times.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8: When pursuing my goals and objectives, the final result is more important than followings the accepted procedures.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
9: Most folks in my community follow the motto, 'nothing ventured, nothing gained.'	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
10: Lots of folks are talking to other folks to find out how my community can provide new services that have never been tried here before.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

Section 10 1 = Strongly Disagree; 4 = Neither Disagree Nor Agree; 7 = Strongly Agree
1: In my community, I feel free to express my opinion even if most people have opposite views.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
2: My social network includes individuals who primarily look like me in terms of race, culture and background.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
3: my community has too many procedures and regulations that tend to govern everything that happens here.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
4: Leaders in my community are more interested in maintaining the status quo than in making new things happen here.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
5: I tolerate ambiguity or unpredictability well.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
6: I am always looking for new and untried ways to do things.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
7: I would openly disagree with a friend in front of other mutual friends.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8: my community has plenty of people who champion new ideas, in spite of others who may be against these new ideas.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
9: I would go whitewater rafting at high water in the spring.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
10: I will rely on my friends and acquaintances that share my background and cultural experiences to help me secure the resources needed to do leadership work in this region.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

Section 11 1 = Strongly Disagree; 4 = Neither Disagree Nor Agree; 7 = Strongly Agree
1: I would bet a day’s income in a casino.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
2: I feel best about my work when I know I have followed accepted procedures.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
3: I am a member of cross cultural groups working to help solve problems in our region.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
4: It is better to ask for permission than to ask for forgiveness.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
5: I am capable of taking the next steps necessary to follow through with my plans.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7