TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose– This paper seeks to add to our understanding of how entrepreneurs can build “knowledge reservoirs” to achieve competitive advantage. The study focus upon the following issues: what kind of actors can be found in various entrepreneurs' knowledge reservoirs, and what business knowledge do these actors possess.Design/methodology/approach– The author employs a longitudinal case study approach, involving a sample of seven entrepreneurs in new technology‐based firms, each interviewed two times during the period from 1999 to 2001.Findings– Evidence suggests that entrepreneurs should build knowledge reservoirs, segmented into internal, semi‐internal and external knowledge reservoirs. These reservoirs should be a means to gain competition advantage.Research limitations/implications– The conceptual model has both empirical and theoretical backing, but the empirical backing is limited to seven cases. It would be useful to test the conceptual model on larger sample sizes.Practical implications– Practitioners can focus on how to build knowledge reservoirs, while the model helps to increase awareness of the holistic view of entrepreneurial knowledge and which actors can contribute to it. Policy makers should encourage entrepreneurs to build knowledge reservoirs, and support systems could require a plan for this activity before entrepreneurs get access to public funds.Originality/value– The paper makes four main contributions: model generation, development of terminology, further development of the field of entrepreneurial research, and development of RBT.
VL  - 12
IS  - 4
SN  - 1462-6004
DO  - 10.1108/14626000510628252
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/14626000510628252
AU  - Øystein Widding Lars
PY  - 2005
Y1  - 2005/01/01
TI  - Building entrepreneurial knowledge reservoirs
T2  - Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development
PB  - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SP  - 595
EP  - 612
Y2  - 2024/05/04
ER  -