Entrepreneurial Learning and Innovation

Author(s):  
Jonas Gabrielsson ◽  
Diamanto Politis

The relation between entrepreneurial learning and innovation is poorly understood – especially with respect to how entrepreneurs build up their capability to create new ventures. In this chapter we employ arguments from theories of experiential learning to examine the extent to which entrepreneurs’ prior career experience is associated with entrepreneurial knowledge that can be productively used in the new venture creation process. We relate entrepreneurial knowledge to two distinct learning outcomes: the ability to (1) recognize new venture opportunities, and (2) cope with liabilities of newness. Based on analysis of data from 291 Swedish entrepreneurs, we provide novel insights into how and why entrepreneurs differ in their experientially acquired abilities in different phases of the new venture creation process.

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayleigh Watson ◽  
Pauric McGowan ◽  
James A. Cunningham

Purpose Business Plan Competitions (BPCs) are readily prescribed and promoted as a valuable entrepreneurial learning activity on university campuses worldwide. There is an acceptance of their value despite the clear lack of empirical attention on the learning experience of nascent entrepreneurs during and post-participation in university-based BPCs. To address this deficit, the purpose of this paper is to explore how participation in a university-based BPC affords entrepreneurial learning outcomes, through the development of competencies, amongst nascent entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach Underpinned by a constructivist paradigm, a longitudinal qualitative methodological approach was adopted. In-depth interviews with nascent entrepreneur participants of a UK university-based BPC were undertaken at the start and end of the competition but also six months after participation. This method enabled access to the participant’s experiences of the competition and appreciation of the meanings they attached to this experience as a source of entrepreneurial learning. Data were analysed according to the wave of data collection and a thematic analytical approach was taken to identify patterns across participant accounts. Findings At the start of the competition, participation was viewed as a valuable experiential learning opportunity in pursuit of the competencies needed, but not yet held, to progress implementation of the nascent venture. At the end of the competition, participants considered their participation experience had afforded the development of pitching, public speaking, networking and business plan production competencies and also self-confidence. Six months post-competition, participants still recognised that competencies had been developed; however, application of these were deemed as being confined to participation in other competitions rather than the routine day-to-day aspects of venture implementation. Developed competencies and learning remained useful given a prevailing view that further competition participation represented an important activity which would enable value to be leveraged in terms of finance, marketing and networking opportunities for new venture creation. Research limitations/implications The findings challenge the common understanding that the BPC represents an effective methodology for highly authentic, relevant and broadly applicable entrepreneurial learning. Moreover the idea that the competencies needed for routine venture implementation and competencies developed through competition are synonymous is challenged. By extension the study suggests competition activities may not be as closely tied to the realities of new venture creation as commonly portrayed or understood and that the learning afforded is situated within a competition context. Competitions could therefore be preventing the opportunities for entrepreneurial learning that they purport they offer. Given the practical importance of competition participation as a resource acquisition activity for nascent entrepreneurs, further critical examination of the competition agenda is necessary as too is additional consideration about the design of such competitions and how such competitions should feature within university policy to support new venture creation. Originality/value This study contributes to the limited literature and studies on BPCs by focussing on its effectiveness as a means of providing entrepreneurial learning for participants. The key contribution taking it from an individual nascent entrepreneur participant perspective is that the competencies afforded through competition participation are more limited in scope and application than traditionally promoted and largely orientated towards future BPC participation. Learning is mainly situated for competition sake only and about participants securing further resources and higher levels of visibility. As the nascent entrepreneurs intended learning outcomes from competition participation are subsequently not realised, the study highlights a gap between the intended and actual outcomes of competition participation.


Author(s):  
Clementine Hegarty ◽  
Pádraig Gallagher ◽  
Isobel Cunningham ◽  
Simon Stephens

The primary aim of this chapter is to review the literature on entrepreneurial influences and competencies. We do this to develop an understanding of the needs of a specific sub-group of entrepreneurs: second chance entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurial learning theory suggests that the failure an entrepreneur experiences serves as a reservoir of knowledge which is important to future success. This chapter highlights the significance of experiential learning as entrepreneurs recover and re-emerge into new venture creation. Due to the high uncertainty of pursuing new opportunities and embarking on an entrepreneurial career involves risk, which can sometimes lead to failure. In this chapter we review the literature on entrepreneurial failure and provide recommendations for customizing entrepreneurial supports to maximize the success of (re)starting entrepreneurs.


Author(s):  
Alexandra França ◽  
Silja Frankenbach ◽  
Vanda Vereb ◽  
Alexandra Vilares ◽  
António Carrizo Moreira

Nascent entrepreneurship plays an important role in the study of entrepreneurship. It has been studied from different angles, especially from the psychological and sociological perspective as nascent entrepreneurs have distinctive traits and competencies. Other important foci of research are the investigation of the environment in which nascent entrepreneurs operate, as well as the way both the identification and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities have emerged. The main objective of this chapter is to address (1) the main individual characteristics that entrepreneurs have in common; (2) the environmental factors contributing to new venture creation; and (3) the steps in the creation process. The chapter departs from the fundamental process of nascent entrepreneurship, which is centered on opportunity recognition, evaluation, and exploitation, and is complemented by the way how contextual factors and personal characteristics and competencies influence the new venture creation process.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Waheed Ali Umrani ◽  
Abdul Khaliq Doudpota ◽  
Umair Ahmed

Subject area Entrepreneurship. Study level/applicability Undergraduate – Entrepreneurship. Case overview The case concerns to an entrepreneur named Aamir Ghouri, a US graduate, who is concerned about managing the growth of his newly established venture named ICON Stores. The case presents the idea of entrepreneurial mindset characteristics and motivation besides which, it also explains the typical venture creation process in Pakistan and the general rubrics used to measure the entrepreneurial success in the economy. Expected learning outcomes The case is designed to help students to understand entrepreneurial mindset, characteristics and motivation; to understand entrepreneurial venture creation process; to learn the common practices regarding the measurement of entrepreneurial success of new venture; and to outline as to how growth of a new venture could be managed profitably. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.


Author(s):  
NURUL AMIRA OMAR ◽  
AHMAD FIRDAUSE MD FADZIL ◽  
ROSFATIHAH CHE MAT

AbstrakFenomena kemunculan perniagaan teroka baharu oleh wanita bukanlah topik baru jika disusuri dari susur galur sorotan kajian lepas. Ramai penyelidik lepas melihat pelbagai perspektif yang berbeza-beza mengikut cabang disiplin masing-masing sepertimana ekonomi, pengurusan, psikologi, sosiologi dan lain-lain lagi. Namun ironinya, perbincangan berkaitan proses pembinaan teori keusahawanan wanita dikatakan masih bersifat pramatang. Kajian konseptual ini telah menggunakan kaedah kajian perpustakaan terhadap 95 artikel terpilih bersangkutan fenomena keusahawanan wanita dalam proses penciptaan teroka baharu yang terdiri daripada beberapa jurnal utama bidang keusahawanan wanita. Hasil kajian literatur ini mendapati, penglibatan usahawan wanita melalui perniagaan teroka baharu terbukti memberi impak positif dari sudut peningkatan peluang pekerjaan serta memperkembangkan inovasi produk baru dalam sesebuah negara. Kesinambungannya, kajian ini bertujuan untuk mendalami berkenaan fenomena keusahawanan wanita terutama berkenaan proses penciptaan teroka baharu memandangkan disiplin ini masih lagi bersifat pramatang terutama dalam proses pembangunan teori. Bersandarkan kepada teori Gartner, 1985, penyelidik memberi huraian yang jelas bagi menerangkan bagaimana keusahawanan wanita yang berlaku boleh dikaitkan dengan empat perspektif berbeza iaitu individu, persekitaran, organisasi yang ditubuhkan dan juga proses keusahawanan yang berlaku. Hasil huraian ini memberi gambaran dan sudut pandang yang khusus kepada usahawan wanita untuk memfokuskan kepada sisi yang memberi impak baik kepada perkembangan perniagaan teroka baru mereka.   AbstractThe discussion about emerging women’s new venture creation is not a new topic when traced back from the past literature. Previous researchers looked at various perspectives according to their respective disciplines, such as economics, management, psychology, sociology etc. Ironically, the discussion related to the women entrepreneurship theory-building process is said to be premature. This conceptual study has used the library research method on 95 selected articles concerning the phenomenon of women entrepreneurship in the new venture creation process consisting of several main women entrepreneurship journals. Based on the result from literature review, the involvement of women entrepreneurs through new venture businesses proved to have a positive impact in terms of employment opportunities and the development of new product innovations in a country. This study investigated the relevance of the women entrepreneurship phenomenon related to the new venture creation process as this discipline is still premature. Based on Gartner's theory, the researchers provide a clear description of how women’s entrepreneurs can be associated with four different perspectives: individuals, environments, organizations established, and entrepreneurial process. The results of this description can provide a specific overview and perspective for women entrepreneurs to focus on the side that has a positive impact on the development of their new venture business.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 560-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tadeu Fernando Nogueira

Purpose Given the growing recognition that learning plays a crucial role in entrepreneurship, this paper aims to systematically review the literature on entrepreneurial learning (EL), take account of its progress and analyze the unique characteristics of EL as a concept. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a systematic approach to reviewing the literature on EL and critically assess the EL concept through the criteria of resonance, attributes (involving consistency, fecundity and differentiation), domain and causal utility. Findings A synthesis and assessment of extant literature reveals that a key challenge is the clear articulation of EL as a concept. This paper takes the first steps toward the specification of EL through a discussion of its unique properties. In this respect, the paper proposes the understanding of EL as an undertaking of entrepreneurial (i.e. proactive, exploratory and collaborative) learning behaviors (a crucial component of the EL concept) and recommends the context of new venture creation as an appropriate domain for the study of EL. Research limitations/implications This paper paves the way toward a more robust specification of EL as a concept. Originality/value This systematic literature review initiates a discussion about how EL literature can find convergence on key issues, thus helping the field move forward. It does so by articulating central attributes of the EL concept.


2020 ◽  
pp. 251512742091465
Author(s):  
Daniil Pokidko ◽  
Fouad Philippe Saade ◽  
Nadav Shir

The new venture creation process is essentially different from the process of managing an established business. Scholars suggest that many current mainstream teaching methods and tools used in entrepreneurship education (EE) are rooted in classical economic theory and do not fully address the specific nature of new venture creation. They also point at a shortage of native EE methods and tools developed specifically for the early-stage new venture creation process. We respond to this challenge through (a) a careful scrutiny of one of the most popular EE tools—the Business Model Canvas and (b) a novel and native EE Experiential Pattern-Matching method to support and complement the Business Model Canvas (and other similar EE tools). We advance our theoretical understanding of experience-based learning in EE settings by embedding the Experiential Pattern-Matching method into a Dynamic Experiential Process Framework that assists entrepreneurship educators in developing effective curricula and improving individual- and team-based learning throughout the educational process of new venture creation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn Micelotta ◽  
Marvin Washington ◽  
Iva Docekalova

This paper examines how industry gender imprinting—the persistence of cultural values, beliefs, norms, and orientations associated with masculinity or femininity—influences new ventures. Our investigation of women’s leagues in the male-dominated sports industry reveals how gender imprinting negatively affects new ventures’ endeavors through three liabilities: identity, conformity, and differentiation. Our findings shed light on the challenges new ventures not aligned with the industry imprint encounter to obtaining material and symbolic support. We contribute to theory by advancing knowledge on how industry-specific sociocultural attributes influence entrepreneurial efforts, and to practice by suggesting how to overcome cultural roadblocks in gendered industries.


2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 455-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javed Hussain ◽  
Cindy Millman ◽  
Jonathan Scott ◽  
Paul Hannon ◽  
Harry Matlay

Small ethnic minority businesses make an important contribution to the UK economy, and this is reflected in their rapid growth over the last decade. A considerable proportion of the growth in new venture creation can be attributed to ethnic minority graduates, who increasingly embark on entrepreneurship as a rewarding and fulfilling alternative to paid employment. An illustrative case study approach is adopted for the purpose of this research study. The results of a qualitative investigation of four new venture creation case studies of graduate ethnic minority entrepreneurs in the UK indicate that the main contribution of higher education for these graduate entrepreneurs was in the area of knowledge and skills acquisition. The main motivational factors acknowledged by the respondents included ‘lack of satisfaction’ in working for others, the need to be their own ‘boss’ and achieve more, and the prospect of higher earnings. The authors found no correlation between degree discipline and graduates' propensity to become entrepreneurs. Graduates from non-business disciplines appear to be more likely to engage in entrepreneurship. The size of start-up finance can have an impact on the survival and growth of new ventures. It is therefore suggested that financial institutions and government agencies should develop more focused services, aimed specifically at supporting ethnic minority graduate entrepreneurs in their drive to convert business ideas into thriving and employment-generating enterprises.


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