Assessing critical incidents in the post-formation phase: a matter of entrepreneurial expertise?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Heinrichs

Purpose Entrepreneurs can easily slide into severe economic crises (Fichman and Levinthal, 1991), in particular, in the first years after their founding. Additionally, research shows that entrepreneurs often lack a realistic evaluation of the entrepreneurial risks and barriers. Referring to research on cognitive and networked expertise (Ericsson et al., 2006; Hakkarainen et al., 2004), recognising and reflecting on potential failure may help to prevent or manage upcoming crises (Mitchell et al., 2008). Thus, this study aims to test whether assessing upcoming crises in a new venture varies along with the level of entrepreneurial expertise. Design/methodology/approach In a cross-sectional design with three subgroups (start-up consultants, entrepreneurs and students), this study evaluated critical incidents that have already been validated as likely to emerge in the post-formation phase (Heinrichs and Jäcklin, 2017). Entrepreneurial expertise was measured by seven indicators, chosen based on the approaches of cognitive and networked expertise. Findings By applying latent profile analyses, the participants were grouped along with these indicators of expertise in three levels. Analysis of variance showed significant differences amongst the profiles in perceiving critical incidents. Experts rated the incidents significantly higher than semi-experts and novices towards indicating financial risks (medium effect) and the probability that the entrepreneur could manage the upcoming crises (large effect). Originality/value The results call for developing and evaluating interventions, e.g. case-oriented entrepreneurship education courses (Heinrichs, 2016), that foster future entrepreneurs’ expertise in perceiving and managing entrepreneurial risks to prevent entrepreneurial failure.

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-160
Author(s):  
Karin Heinrichs ◽  
Benjamin Jäcklin

Purpose Entrepreneurs can easily slide into severe economic crises (Fichman and Levinthal, 1991), in particular in the first years after founding. Additionally, research shows that entrepreneurs often lack a realistic evaluation of the entrepreneurial risks and barriers. Referring to research on cognitive and networked expertise (Ericsson et al., 2006; Hakkarainen et al., 2004), recognising and reflecting on potential failure may help to prevent or manage upcoming crises (Mitchell et al., 2008). Thus, this paper aims to test whether assessing upcoming crises in a new venture varies along with the level of entrepreneurial expertise. Design/methodology/approach In a cross-sectional design with three subgroups (start-up consultants, entrepreneurs and students), this study evaluated critical incidents that have already been validated as likely to emerge in the post-formation phase (Heinrichs and Jäcklin, 2017). Entrepreneurial expertise was measured by seven indicators, chosen based on the approaches of cognitive and networked expertise. Findings By applying latent profile analyses, the participants were grouped along these indicators of expertise in three levels. Analysis of variance showed significant differences among the profiles in perceiving critical incidents. Experts rated the incidents significantly higher than semi-experts and novices towards indicating financial risks (medium effect) and the probability that the entrepreneur could manage the upcoming crises (large effect). Originality/value The results call for developing and evaluating interventions, e.g. case-oriented entrepreneurship education courses (Heinrichs, 2016), that foster future entrepreneurs’ expertise in perceiving and managing entrepreneurial risks to prevent entrepreneurial failure.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Heinrichs ◽  
Benjamin Jacklin

During the post-formation phase, young ventures are often in danger of sliding into bankruptcy. The entrepreneur has to deal with a multitude of complex problems, decisions have to be made under time pressure or uncertainty, and upcoming crises have to be perceived in time. This paper presents seven critical incidents that are (1) realistic, typical, and likely to emerge during the first years of a start-up’s existence, (2) assumed to cause severe financial crises for the new venture, but (3) possible to be overcome by the entrepreneur if he makes appropriate decisions. Seven incidents were developed on a theoretical basis and then empirically validated by questionnaires presented to (future) entrepreneurs and start-up counsellors (n = 627) as well as to a sample of students who are at least interested or even engaged in the field of entrepreneurship (n = 367). The incidents reveal likely challenges for entrepreneurs in the post-formation phase. This discovery opens new perspectives for preparing entrepreneurs to deal with the typical risks of the post-formation phase. For example, these lessons provide opportunity for an application within case-oriented courses of entrepreneurship in higher and vocational education and opportunity for reflection on probable emerging crises in start-up counselling.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E. Marler ◽  
Susie S. Cox ◽  
Marcia J. Simmering ◽  
Bryan L. Rogers ◽  
Curtis F. Matherne

Purpose Information sharing is vital to organizational operations, yet employees are often reluctant to share negative information. This paper aims to gain insight into which employees will be reluctant to share negative information and when by drawing from the proactive motivation literature examining effects of proactive personality and motivational states on individuals’ willingness to share negative information. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional design was used, with data collected from a final sample of 393 individuals via an online survey. Hypotheses were tested using correlation and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Findings Interactive effects indicate proactive individuals with accompanying high levels of role breadth self-efficacy (“can do”) or high levels of felt responsibility for constructive change (“reason to”) were less likely to be reluctant to share negative information. However, findings also suggest proactive individuals with lower levels of proactive motivation avoid sharing negative information. Originality/value The findings extend what is known about personality factors and employee willingness to share information to highlight which employees may be likely to avoid sharing negative information. The authors also examine the moderating influence of proactive motivational states on the relationships between proactive personality and reluctance to share negative information.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Ju ◽  
Jingjing Yao ◽  
Li Ma

PurposeJob involvement is an important predictor of how well employees perform and feel at work. However, despite fruitful findings, little is known about how person–job (P–J) fit affects job involvement.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a cross-sectional design and collected data from 375 employees and 50 managers. Multivariate regression was applied to test the moderated curvilinear model.FindingsThis study found an inverted U-shaped relationship between P–J fit and job involvement. For employees with a strong performance goal orientation, maximum job involvement occurred at a higher level of P–J fit, whereas for employees with a strong learning goal orientation, maximum job involvement occurred at a moderate level of P–J fit.Practical implicationsManagers should be aware that solely maximizing fit may not constantly yield positive outcomes, and that ignoring differences in employee needs and goals may be counterproductive.Originality/valueThe study challenges the conventional wisdom that a high P–J fit is always productive by showing that a high fit may sometimes jeopardize job involvement, particularly for certain employees.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Temitope Owolabi ◽  
Tunde A. Alabi ◽  
Sofiat A. Busari-Akinbode

Purpose This study aims to investigate female commercial drivers in the Lagos metropolis. The study sought to know the circumstances that motivated women to venture into commercial driving; the experiences they encounter whilst engaging with other stakeholders in the public space; the dimension of the conflict between work and family, and the coping strategies used and finally, the health concerns of female commercial drivers. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a cross-sectional design and a qualitative method of data collection. An in-depth interview guide was used to elicit information from 18 female drivers drawn from three sectors of commercial transportation in Lagos State. Findings It was found that the major motivation for engaging in commercial driving is the need for survival and family support; although participants acknowledged that they cannot be in the profession for a long time. Married women had less time to engage in commercial driving due to other family responsibilities. Women drivers have experienced mixed reactions from other road users. Commercial driving is physically demanding and poses threat to the health of female commercial drivers. Originality/value The findings highlight the circumstances behind women participating in commercial driving. Despite the challenges encountered in this course of this activity, they are still bent on continuing because of the need to take care of their children, a majority of their spouses are not fully contributing to the maintenance of the home.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Yasin Ghadi

Purpose Job crafting is recently argued to have five dimensions (Nielsen et al., 2017): increasing challenging demands, decreasing social demands, increasing social job resources, increasing quantitative demands and decreasing hindrance demands. The purpose of this study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties and construct validity of the five-factor model of job crafting, introduced by using a sample of Jordanian university employees. Design/methodology/approach A pre-determined survey on was used. Accordingly, 513 professional workers in several universities completed the survey. Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess the internal consistency of the scale, whereas series of confirmatory factor (CFA) analysis and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were conducted to assess the scale’s factorial and discriminant validity. Other tests were also conducted. Findings As predicted, the proposed model best fit the data. Statistical analysis yielded several findings. First, the results of the reliability test revealed that the five sub-scales of job crafting had significant and sufficiently strong internal consistencies. Second, the results showed that the 15 items loaded significantly with a factor loadings more than 0.50. Third, the CFA results confirmed that the five-factor model best fitted the data in comparison to the one-factor model. Finally, the construct validity of JCRQ-15 was confirmed through its correlation with several validating variables. Research limitations/implications Some limitations need to be addressed. First, the sample came from participants working in specific Jordanian universities which may limit the generalization that could be made from the results to other occupations. Second, due to the cross-sectional design of the present study, the question remains whether the JCRQ-15 are stable overtime. Third, the common methods bias might be a problem because it is one of the main sources of measurement error in validation studies using self-reported scales. Originality/value The present study provided an early supportive evidence for the use of the JCRQ-15 as a valid measure of job crafting in the Jordanian context.


2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannes Zacher ◽  
Heiko Schulz

Purpose – In many countries, both the number of older people in need of care and the number of employed caregivers of elderly relatives will increase over the next decades. The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which perceived organizational, supervisor, and coworker support for eldercare reduce employed caregivers’ strain and weaken the relationship between eldercare demands and strain. Design/methodology/approach – Survey data were collected from 100 employed caregivers from one organization. Findings – Results showed that eldercare demands were positively related to strain, and perceived organizational eldercare support (POES) was negatively related to strain. In addition, high POES weakened the relationship between eldercare demands and strain. Research limitations/implications – The cross-sectional design and use of self-report scales constitute limitations of the study. Practical implications – POES is a resource for employed caregivers, especially when their eldercare demands are high. Originality/value – This research highlights the relative importance of different forms of perceived support for reducing employed caregivers’ strain and weakening the relationship between eldercare demands and strain.


2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria J Chambel ◽  
Laura Lorente ◽  
Vânia Carvalho ◽  
Isabel Maria Martinez

Purpose – Based on the psychological contract (PC) theory, the purpose of this paper is to identify PC profiles, differentiating between permanent and temporary agency workers (TAW). Moreover, the authors analyzed whether different profiles presented different levels of work engagement. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional survey data analysis of 2,867 workers, of whom 1,046 were TAW, was analyzed using latent profile analyses. Findings – Four PC profiles were identified, which differed quantitatively in terms of the overall dimension levels (i.e. balanced, relational and transactional) for PC (i.e. content and fulfillment). ANCOVAs showed that the relational/balanced dominant and transactional dominant profiles presented similar engagement levels for TAW, but for permanent workers the former profile showed higher engagement than the latter. However, for both permanent and TAW the fulfillment profile showed higher engagement than the unfulfillment profile. Research limitations/implications – The cross-sectional design and the reliance on self-report measures are the limitations of this study, although no causality was claimed and method biases were controlled. Practical implications – Actions that increase PC fulfillment positively affect the employment relationship of TAW with the client organization. Originality/value – Few studies have addressed PC typologies. Furthermore, most studies have focussed on temporary workers, but not on TAW and their contract with the client organization. Finally, this study emphasizes the crucial role played by the PC in the levels of work engagement.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bjørn Kjetil Larsen ◽  
Sarah Hean ◽  
Atle Ødegård

Purpose Interprofessional collaboration is necessary for handling the complex psychosocial needs of prisoners. This collaboration must be addressed to avoid high recidivism rates and the human and societal costs linked to them. Challenges are exacerbated by a linear approach to handling prisoners’ problems, silo working between welfare agencies and professional boundaries between frontline workers. There are few adequate theoretical frameworks and tools to address these challenges in the prison context. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions that frontline staff working in Norwegian prison facilities have regarding interprofessional collaboration in providing mental health services for prisoners. Design/methodology/approach This study had a non-experimental, cross-sectional design to explore perceptions of interprofessional collaboration in a prison context. Descriptive and multifactorial analyses (exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis) were used to explore the data. Findings The analysis showed that three factors, communication, organizational culture and domain, explained 95% of the variance. Results are discussed using relational coordination, as well as the conceptual PINCOM model, as a theoretical framework. Originality/value Few studies explicitly explore collaboration between professionals in mental health and prison services despite its being a prerequisite to achieving sufficient services for prisoners. To our knowledge, this current study is one of the first in Norway to explore collaboration in a prison context by analysing quantitative data and focusing on frontline workers perception of the phenomenon.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 587-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacobus Gerhardus J. Nortje ◽  
Daniel P. Bredenkamp

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse and discuss the identification of a generic investigation process to be followed by the commercial forensic practitioner in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a cross-sectional design that commenced with a review of the current available literature, highlighting the different approaches, processes and best practices used in local and international forensic practices. The methodology includes primary data collected with questionnaires from commercial forensic practitioner (N = 75) process users. Findings This paper identifies the following five distinct categories in the forensic investigation process, with sub-processes, namely, initiation, planning, execution, reporting and reflection. Research limitations/implications The study focuses only on the South African members of the Institute of Commercial Forensic Practitioners (ICFP) fraternity in South Africa as the ICFP is a leading body that, through membership, offers a recognised professional qualification in commercial forensics. Practical implications An investigation process for commercial forensic practitioners in South Africa could be used by the ICFP that would provide a governance structure for the ICFP. Originality/value The originality of this paper lies in setting out of an account of forensic accounting processes and best practices nationally and internationally. The missing knowledge is that no such research is known to have been conducted in South Africa. Currently, to the authors’ knowledge, no formalised investigation process exists. The contribution of the study is that by using an investigation process, it may enhance the quality of forensic investigations and contribute to the successful investigation and prosecution of commercial crime in South Africa that will be beneficial to all stakeholders.


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