scholarly journals The moderating effect of founding assets on the founders’ human capital

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Xu

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate into the conditions under which founders’ human capital (HC) benefits new venture growth (NVG). One such condition is investigated in this study – initial assets at founding. Specifically, founding assets are hypothesized to moderate the relationship between founders’ HC and NVG. Design/methodology/approach The longitudinal panel database from the Kauffman Firm Survey for the period 2004–2011 was used to test the hypotheses. The final sample consisted of 4,923 firms, with 34,461 observations made over seven years. Findings The regression analysis found the effect of founders’ HC on NVG and the moderating role of founding assets in the HC–NVG relationship. Research limitations/implications New ventures benefit even more from founders’ education level, industry and startup experiences when the startups have larger assets at founding. The effect of founders’ education and experiences on startup growth is contingent upon the initial assets at founding. Practical implications The results of this study can help practitioners and policy makers to understand the drivers of NVG and the interactions among these drivers. Growth-oriented startups may require a large investment in founding assets such as production facilities. Startups with fewer founding assets may find it particularly difficult to negotiate with external stakeholders and may face unusually intense competitive responses from competitors. Policy makers should tailor the support to the founding conditions of new firms. Originality/value The prior literature has shown mostly the independent positive effects of various resources on firm growth. This study argues and empirically shows that startups grow faster when founders with high HC have more assets to utilize. The resource-based view literature was expanded by adding important new causal mechanisms, enriching our understanding of how founders’ HC interact with founding assets, jointly affecting NVG. Like a big fish in a small pond, even highly educated and experienced entrepreneurs have limited opportunities to utilize their talents in a startup with a lower initial resource position.

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Cerqueti ◽  
Caterina Lucarelli ◽  
Nicoletta Marinelli ◽  
Alessandra Micozzi

Purpose This paper aims to dismantle the idea that sex per se explains entrepreneurial outcomes and demonstrates the influence of a gendered motivation on forging and shaping new venture teams, which is a disruptive choice affecting the future of start-ups. Design/methodology/approach A two-level research model is validated on data from the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics II (PSED II), with a system of simultaneous equations. First, if team features affect the performance of new ventures is tested; then, the study investigates determinants of team features with a focus on sex and motivation of nascent entrepreneurs. Findings Human capital (HC) in terms of education and experience of team members consistently explains venture evolution only when considering the larger team of affiliates. The HC gathered by nascent entrepreneurs is not because of the simplistic sex condition, but rather to a gendered motivation related to the inferior need of achievement of women. Research limitations/implications Limitations of discretionary scoring assigned to items of the PSED II survey are present, but unavoidable when processing qualitative data. Practical implications Women need to be (culturally) educated on how to re-balance their personal motivation towards entrepreneurship by fostering their incentives for achievement. Political and educational programmes could trigger success in the creation of new businesses led by women. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature on nascent entrepreneurship, focusing on the entrepreneurial teams in the initial phase of business creation, and provides the basis for further studies aimed at eradicating the stereotypes of gender roles that lead women to self-exclusion and organizational errors.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 427-447
Author(s):  
Norifumi Kawai ◽  
Mirela Xheneti ◽  
Tomoyo Kazumi

PurposeThis article seeks to theorize and empirically examine the conditional mechanisms through which entrepreneurial legitimacy determines the success or failure of new ventures by building upon Zimmerman and Zeitz's (2002) causal process model of legitimacy.Design/methodology/approachWe gathered cross-sectional data from 266 Japanese new venture owners running their businesses across a variety of sectors and empirically examined whether, how and when legitimacy positively affects new ventures' performance by employing the SPSS PROCESS macro for moderated mediation analysis.FindingsThe results indicate that rich access to a pool of valuable resources fully mediates the positive effects of legitimacy on new venture growth. Furthermore, this study offers robust empirical evidence that prior entrepreneurial experience and competitive intensity as the internal and external contingency factors significantly moderate the indirect effect of legitimacy on new venture growth through resource accessibility.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough our analysis provides clear support for the view that important resources for new venture performance are gained through legitimacy, it does not offer precise clarifications for the type and sources of legitimacy and for the strategies that could be deployed to achieve legitimacy. Future studies should clearly distinguish tangible assets (e.g. financial resources) from intangible assets (e.g. tacit knowledge, networks and reputation) in terms of resource accessibility. Therefore, it should be worth scrutinizing the multiple dimensions of resources as potential mediators of the legitimacy-new venture growth relationship in greater depth.Practical implicationsFrom a policy perspective, this study suggests that a special emphasis needs to be placed on designing and carrying out policies aimed at increasing the visibility and credibility of entrepreneurship as a positive career path since public acceptance of entrepreneurship is essential to new venture growth. Furthermore, it is logical to conclude that achieving greater legitimacy is a pivotal strategic tool not only to overcome resource barriers but also to maximize a probability of survival, specifically for those entrepreneurs without prior experience and those operating in a fiercely competitive market environment.Originality/valueUnlike previous studies that have mostly presented the direct effect of entrepreneurial legitimacy on venture outcomes (Capelleras et al., 2019; Kibler and Kautonen, 2016; Pindado and Sánchez, 2017), our research empirically identified the potential complexities inherent in this relationship by performing a conditional indirect effect analysis.


Author(s):  
Can Cui ◽  
Yifan Wang ◽  
Qiang Wang

AbstractHuman capital has been acknowledged as a key driver for innovation, thereby promoting regional economic development in the knowledge era. University graduates from China’s “first-class” universities—the top 42 universities, included in the “double first-class” initiative, are considered highly educated human capital. Their migration patterns will exert profound impacts on regional development in China, however, little is known about the migration of these elite university graduates and its underlying driving forces. Using data from the 2018 Graduate Employment Reports, this study reveals that the uneven distribution of “first-class” universities and regional differentials largely shaped the migration of graduates from the university to work. Graduates were found aggregating in eastern first-tier cities, even though appealing talent-orientated policies aimed at attracting human capital had been launched in recent years by second-tier cities. Employing negative binomial models, this study investigates how the characteristics of the city of university and destinations affect the intensity of flows of graduates between them. The results showed that both jobs and urban amenities in the university city and destination city exert impacts on the inflow volume of graduates; whereas talent attraction policies introduced by many second-tier cities are found not to exert positive effects on attracting “first-class” university graduates presently. The trend of human capital migration worth a follow-up investigation, particularly given ongoing policy dynamics, and would shed light on the regional development disparities in China.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen McGrath ◽  
Thomas O'Toole

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the early stage network engagement strategies that new ventures use to gain traction in interaction in the development of network capability. Design/methodology/approach Using 24 new ventures in the micro-brewing industry in Ireland, Belgium and the USA as an empirical base, the authors use an inductive case study approach owing to the exploratory nature of the research aim and the lack of prior literature in the area. Findings The findings suggest five early stage network engagement process strategies in network capability development: business-to-business network prospecting; co-branding/co-promoting activities; from maker-mindset to adapting; social media platforming; and recognition and activation of network role. Research limitations/implications The findings are limited to the micro-brewery sector at one point in time, although in multiple country contexts. Analyzing other sectors and taking a temporal view of strategizing, analyzing the sector at another time point, would show how dynamics in engagement change as the actors acquire new experiences from interaction. Practical implications The potential to gain from network resources and the paucity of these resources in new ventures makes early stage engagement strategizing for network capability development an attractive business strategy for new firms. All firms are born within a social network that has economic importance. Identifying the five early stage network engagement strategies can mitigate the challenge for the new venture in moving from the initial social network to collaborating within wider business networks to gain access to resources, technology and customers. Originality/value Strategizing in new venture contexts is a relatively new stream of research for the industrial marketing and purchasing group. This paper adds to the growing body of literature that places interaction, relationships and networks at the heart of strategy making and provides important insights for new ventures, which may lead to earlier and greater success for the firms. The authors respond to calls for increased research addressing capability development in a new venture context and for research to take a more interactive perspective on new venture processes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 727-747
Author(s):  
Wenqing Wu ◽  
Hongxin Wang ◽  
Fu-Sheng Tsai

PurposeThis study analyses the relationship between the networks of business incubators (BIs) and new venture performance. It proposes an integrated model for identifying the influence of BIs' internal and external networks on new venture performance through the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and environmental dynamism.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses multiple regression analysis on a sample of 205 new ventures in Chinese BIs.FindingsBoth the internal and external networks of BIs positively affect new venture performance and EO has a mediating effect in this relationship. Environmental dynamism plays a positive moderating role in the relationship between BIs' internal and external networks and EO.Practical implicationsBased on the results of this study, incubator managers should focus on creating internal and external networks and leveraging network embeddedness to influence new venture performance. Further, new ventures should focus on strengthening their EO and fully consider the impact of environmental dynamism on EO implementation.Originality/valueTo address the research gaps in understanding how BI networks can support new venture growth, this study integrates BIs' internal and external networks and explores their impacts on new venture performance using co-production theory and the resource-based view. It thus opens the black box on how BI's networks affect performance from the EO perspective. Moreover, this study fully clarifies chain relationships by identifying and analysing the moderating role of environmental dynamism.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingling Wang ◽  
Wenhong Zhao ◽  
Zelong Wei ◽  
Changbao Zhou

Purpose This paper aims to explore how intra-industry entrepreneurial experience and failure entrepreneurial experience affect novelty-centered business model design in a new venture. Moreover, the authors also consider whether the contingent value of entrepreneurial experience may differ according to competitive intensity. Design/methodology/approach A survey via questionnaire was conducted with 290 entrepreneurs and top managers from Chinese new ventures that provided the research data. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the proposed theoretical hypotheses. Findings The empirical results indicate that intra-industry entrepreneurial experience has an inverted U-shaped effect on novelty-centered business model design, whereas failure entrepreneurial experience has a negative effect on novelty-centered business model design. Furthermore, the authors also find that competitive intensity weakens the inverted U-shaped effect of intra-industry entrepreneurial experience on novelty-centered business model design. Originality/value This study offers new insights into the effects of intra-industry entrepreneurial experience and failure entrepreneurial experience on novelty-centered business model design and provides useful suggestions for new ventures to promote business model design.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffaele Fiorentino ◽  
Sergio Longobardi ◽  
Alessandro Scaletti

PurposeDespite the relevance of innovation in entrepreneurship literature, empirical research on the innovation-performance relationship in start-ups is underdeveloped and shows controversial results. To bridge this gap, the aim of this paper is to investigate the role of innovativeness on new venture performance in the early stage of the life cycle.Design/methodology/approachRegression modelling and propensity score matching are used to reveal systematic differences in growth between innovative start-ups (ISUPs) and non-innovative start-ups. We use an ad hoc dataset obtained through merging the financial database AIDA with data from administrative sources (Italian Chambers of Commerce and the Italian Ministry for Economic Development).FindingsThe results show that differences in growth can be explained by the different levels of innovativeness in new ventures. Moreover, unlike in prior studies, the innovation inputs matter more than innovation outputs. Indeed, the results support the idea that innovation policies can contribute to maximising the potential of start-ups.Practical implicationsThe findings provide suggestions for policy makers and entrepreneurs to help firms configure ex ante appropriate actions to support the growth of new ventures in the start-up stage.Originality/valueThis study is the first to use the new objective measure of start-up innovation, available from the Italian LD 221 register. Second, different types of innovation are investigated as antecedents of firm growth. Third, we employ propensity score matching, which favours revealing systematic differences in growth between ISUPs and non-innovative start-ups. Fourth, the results of our study are the first to offer evidence on the effectiveness of the new Italian sustaining ISUPs policy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 1066-1078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonella La Rocca ◽  
Andrea Perna ◽  
Andrea Sabatini ◽  
Enrico Baraldi

Purpose While several studies have focused on the initial phases of new ventures and their first customer and supplier relationships, we have a limited understanding of how the new venture’s portfolio of customer relationships emerges. This paper aims to explore the emergence of the customer relationship portfolio of a new venture and to investigate the effects of early relationships on subsequent ones. Design/methodology/approach Methodologically, the authors rely on a longitudinal single case study of a new venture which develops, implements and sells customized cost-management software. The study is exploratory and based on 24 in-depth interviews. Findings The findings show that the development of a customer portfolio depends on the cumulative effect of heterogeneous elements and network connections. These include the initial link between the new venture and the first customer and a subsequent series of interconnections that develop with the emerging network capability of the new venture. Originality/value As one of the few studies that explore the emergence of new ventures’ customer relationship portfolio, this study demonstrates the value of applying a relational/network approach for studying relationship portfolio dynamics.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 1171-1189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meow Yee Foo ◽  
Kanagi Kanapathy ◽  
Suhaiza Zailani ◽  
Mohd Rizaimy Shaharudin

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the green-purchasing capabilities required to ensure the successful implementation of green-purchasing practices under the forces of institutional pressure. Specifically, this paper explores the green-purchasing capabilities of buyer firms under the influence of institutional pressures in supplier selection, development, collaboration and evaluation in support of environmental purchasing. Design/methodology/approach Questionnaire survey method was used to gather data from 163 ISO 14001-certified manufacturing firms in Malaysia. Partial least squares was used for hypotheses testing. Findings Green-purchasing capabilities, such as manufacturing, financial, intraorganisational and integration capabilities, have a significant positive effects on green-purchasing practices. However, innovation capabilities have no significant effect on green-purchasing practices. Regulation, customer and competitor pressure positively moderate the relationships between green manufacturing capabilities and practices. Practical implications The paper highlights the importance of green-purchasing capabilities in enhancing the green-purchasing practices of firms. The findings that pertain to moderating effect could be used to assist policy makers, particularly in setting appropriate policies and strategies to improve green purchasing. Originality/value Although more studies on green purchasing have been conducted in recent years, issues, such as the effect of green-purchasing capabilities on green-purchasing practices, are still unspecified. Besides, this study considers institutional pressure as the moderator when a model is constructed to exemplify the relationship between green-purchasing capabilities and practices.


2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 939-954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birton J. Cowden ◽  
Joshua S. Bendickson

Purpose Many factors influence entrepreneurs, some of which influence the level of innovation (i.e. innovative or imitative) of new products or services pursued. The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of the psychological motivations of the entrepreneurs and their institutional setting on the innovativeness of the new venture they pursue. Through this exploration, we can gain a better understanding of how innovative new ventures still occur in varying institutional environments. Design/methodology/approach In order to deliver the authors’ propositions as they pertain to innovation, the authors review the literature on entrepreneurs’ default regulatory focus (i.e. promotion or prevention seeking) and the strength of the institutions in which they are operating. Findings The authors theorize that promotion focus enhances innovativeness of ventures while prevention focus enhances imitativeness of ventures. The authors also provide a conceptual framework for the interplay among institutions and regulatory focus and provide a typology for how these varying combinations impact innovativeness or imitativeness of venture type. Originality/value In this study, the authors discuss and unpack the entrepreneurial mindset in order to bridge gaps between institutions and cognitive motivations of entrepreneurs as they pertain to innovativeness of venture type. By synthesizing several areas of research, the authors shed light on entrepreneurs’ innovativeness by proposing how these factors work together in determining whether an entrepreneur’s venture is more or less innovative based on regulatory disposition and in different institutional settings.


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