Bus 185 - Family Business Dynamics: Birth Order

Conflicting Results in Birth Order Studies

  • Some studies indicate no significant results regarding birth order.
  • Angira (1990) found no significant interaction between family structure and birth order.
  • Birth order and family structure significantly impacted adjustment, but the specific impact of birth order wasn't specified.

Statistics on Birth Order

  • IQ: Subsequent children score approximately 3 IQ points lower, correlating to a 2\% reduction in earnings.
  • EQ (Emotional Quotient): Lower non-cognitive scores, with a doubled reduction in relationship scores with older brothers.
  • Educational Attainment: The difference between a 1st and 5th child's attainment is similar to the college rate discrepancy between white and black individuals.
  • Economic Disadvantage: Latter-born women face the largest economic disadvantage.
  • Career Tendencies: First-born children tend to become managers, while last-born children are more likely to become entrepreneurs.

Birth Order and Personality (Jefferson et al., 1998)

  • Neuroticism and Extraversion show no relation to birth order.
  • Small effects are seen on Altruism and Tender-Mindedness for latter-born children.
  • Latter-born children are generally higher in Openness and Agreeableness.
  • Birth order may subtly affect perceived personality, especially in identity tasks.
  • First-borns are rated significantly higher in Dominance, while latter-borns are rated higher in Sociability (Beck et al., 2006).

Birth Order Traits (Sulloway, 2001)

  • Sibling competition leads children to cultivate family niches associated with their birth order.

Firstborns:

  • Align interests with parents.
  • Show strong motivation to fulfill parental expectations.
  • Are more amenable to parents’ wishes, values, and standards.
  • More conscientious, responsible, ambitious, organized, academically successful, traditional, and conservative.
  • More likely to endorse conventional morality, thereby perpetuating family values.

Latter-borns:

  • Identify less with their parents.
  • Are subject to domination or bullying by older siblings.
  • More open to experience than firstborns.
  • More likely to empathize.
  • Supportive of egalitarian social change.
  • Question the status quo.
  • Resist authority and pressure to conform.

Birth Order in Family Business

First Born

  • Perfectionistic and held to higher standards.
  • Put in charge more often and earlier.
  • Responsible for younger siblings.

Middle

  • Mediators/crowd-pleasers.
  • Independent, yet loyal.
  • Desire fairness.

Last

  • Manipulative.
  • Better at charming and disarming.
  • Comfortable disturbing the peace.

First Born Children

  • Are 2-3 times more likely to live to 100.
  • Have high-quality language development/skills.
  • Are afraid of making mistakes/errors and have more anxiety.
  • Are goal-setters, list-makers, and highly organized.
  • Score higher in introversion.
  • Are more likely to divorce and have conflict.

Middle Children

  • Tend to be mediators and are choosy about who they confide in.
  • Are the most monogamous – More motivated to make their marriages and families work – Least likely to cheat on spouse.
  • More likely to be in trouble.
  • May not be as close to parents.
  • Often feel overlooked and neglected.

Latter-Born/Youngest Child

  • More prone to obesity and have a higher risk of disease (except diabetes).
  • More creative and less risk-averse.
  • More rebellious.
  • Have more advanced conversational skills.
  • Less prepared for structure and critical feedback.
  • Tend to be more relaxed and to perceive themselves as relaxed.