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Boundary-Crossing Job Mobility, New Product Area Entry, and the Performance of Entrepreneurial Ventures

ISBN: 978-1-78635-915-5, eISBN: 978-1-78635-914-8

Publication date: 24 March 2017

Abstract

How does career boundary-crossing affect an entrepreneur’s new venture? When entrepreneurs cross industry or functional boundaries to lead startups, they may lack specific experience needed for performance. Conversely, the diverse experiences they carry can enhance exploration and lead to the emergence of innovation in startups. We highlight important consequences of career boundary-crossing, using a multi-industry longitudinal sample of high-technology firms. We find that entrepreneurs who cross functional boundaries are more likely to lead their startups into new product areas. We also find that entrepreneurs’ industry boundary-crossing is associated with startup failure, but it also increases the probability of an IPO.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgments

We thank Greta Hsu and participants of the Ohio State Management and Human Resources seminar series for valuable comments and suggestions. Funding was generously provided by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation through the Berkley Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Stern School of Business, New York University

Citation

Dokko, G. and Wu, G.A. (2017), "Boundary-Crossing Job Mobility, New Product Area Entry, and the Performance of Entrepreneurial Ventures", Emergence (Research in the Sociology of Organizations, Vol. 50), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 419-448. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0733-558X20170000050013

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited