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The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effect of an entrepreneur’s accumulated knowledge and firm’s innovation on the development of reputation in the early years of a new venture from a knowledge-based approach.

The study proposes a model that is tested with a sample of 130 firms in non-high-tech industries from the Canary Islands (Spain) using structural equation modelling. Data were collected through a survey.

This study provide interesting insights on the effect of reputation on the performance in new ventures, along with antecedents of the new firm’s reputation from the knowledge-based view. The findings confirm that innovation and prior knowledge play important roles in the development of reputation in the early years of a new venture and that reputation has a significant effect on the performance of a new firm. The entrepreneur’s stock of knowledge does not reveal itself as a significant determinant of innovation and knowledge creation in this context.

The entrepreneur’s accumulated knowledge should be seen as a valuable existing asset for a new venture, and innovation and knowledge creation can be used to develop core competencies in orientating the strategic direction of a new venture. Both elements become fundamental despite addressing non-high-tech industries.

Entrepreneurs should be aware of the key role that the creation and the stock of knowledge play in the first years of company life and this research shows how significant this relationship with the initial reputation and performance of new venture in non-high-technology industries is.

There is a relative scarcity of studies on reputation-building strategies in new entrepreneurial ventures, and the present study adopts an original knowledge-based perspective to shed new light on the analysis of reputation.

The purpose of this study is to characterize output and impact evaluation initiatives from the perspective of entrepreneurs and investors of social enterprises (SE) by highlighting their relevance, implementation processes and consequences.

This study adopted a qualitative approach through a multiple case study. This study also analyzed ten SE in five areas and three investors, using semi-structured interviews, codification and content analysis.

Evaluation is still at an initial stage in these businesses, and there is a gap between what the field-specific literature proposes and what firms do. Although entrepreneurs feel that evaluation is essential to demonstrate their value and confirm their purpose and impact, it is not a priority.

Due to the small number of Brazilian enterprises and investors, it is impossible to generalize the results.

The results are relevant to rethink strategies, processes and methodological tools that seek to portray, more realistically and reliably, the evaluation dimensions in SE.

This study highlights the risk regarding the legitimacy of social impact ventures since, without the due causal inferences, it is not easy to prove the impact they claim to achieve. This situation conducts to the weakening of the ecosystem leading to the emptying of the term impact.

The main research contributions address the methodologies, practices and evaluation routines of some Brazilian SE and their investors, presenting the characteristics, perceptions and limitations of the studied ventures.

Starting from Hayek’s distinction between spontaneous and man-made orders, we attempt to analyze the role of the entrepreneur in business organizations. The business firm shares important elements of both categories, thus we describe it as a hybrid order. We proceed to construct an account of the entrepreneur that is consistent both with the attributes of the firm that reflect its affinity with man-made organizations, as well as those that reflect its affinity with spontaneous orders. We highlight the concept of entrepreneurial leadership as the major factor for the existence of business organizations and we discuss why the actual mode in which entrepreneurial leadership is exercised has important implications for the development of the firm.

This case could be used in entrepreneurship, strategy, and small-business courses. It presents classic issues regarding successful start-ups such as how to choose from a multitude of growth opportunities; how to pace growth so as not to dilute quality control and financial risk tolerance; and how to choose a strategic focus.

Policy makers have called for more entrepreneurship throughout societies as a response to the digital transformation. This paper argues that the rapidly changing conditions of the digital age indeed mark a change in the bases of entrepreneurship. Specifically, as adaptivity becomes key, a learning capacity and general ability to adapt becomes a critical factor in entrepreneurial activity. The paper identifies self-directed learning (SDL) as a fundamental competence in this regard and examines its role for entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial competence.

The paper develops a theoretical framework for the role of SDL in entrepreneurship through a process of systematic review of previous studies that have linked SDL to entrepreneurship.

The formulated theoretical framework shows how SDL competence combines with experiential learning in supporting the kind of adaptivity needed for entrepreneurial competence, especially under more rapidly changing conditions. SDL competence also gains wider importance through enabling individuals to meet the demands of organizational changes in our highly volatile world.

SDL competence prepares individuals for entrepreneurship and resilience in face of rapid changes as well as for being more entrepreneurial in the conduct of their lives more generally. Fostering SDL competence can thus be regarded as an important objective of entrepreneurship education.

The described self-directed experiential learning cycle offers a novel perspective that clarifies how both self-directed and experiential learning competences are integral for understanding the basis of adaptiveness in entrepreneurial activity.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the social-cognitive antecedents of an entrepreneur’s internationalization intent and a firm’s behavior. Building on the insights of social-cognitive psychology, the author develops a conceptual model linking an entrepreneur’s positive orientation, self-efficacy beliefs, internationalization intent and actual behavior of the firm.

The author tests this model with a sample of 310 Polish firms (including 241 domestic and 69 international new ventures), drawing on data collected first in 2006 and then in 2007.

The author finds that self-efficacy mediates between positive orientation and internationalization intent, and that an entrepreneur’s internationalization intent predicts a firm’s behavior (i.e. foreign market entry). Moreover, firm age moderates the relationship between an entrepreneur’s positive orientation and internationalization propensity among new ventures.

Overall, the findings demonstrate that social-cognitive theory is useful in predicting new venture internationalization.

Based on the findings, the author recommends that managerial education in international management combines the development of “formal” skills and cross-cultural competencies with experiential and vicarious learning.

The study combines insights from psychology and international business, thus responding to numerous calls for a more interdisciplinary and cognition-oriented focus on the international behavior of firms.

The purpose of this paper is to examine if and how entrepreneurial assistance programs, through guided preparation, affect start-up success.

–This study uses Heckman's two-stage sample selection model to predict the effect of contact and interactions with entrepreneurial support programs on start-up outcomes while taking into account the entrepreneur's self-selection into obtaining support from these programs.

The results indicate that, after controlling for individual characteristics, activities undertaken during the start-up process, organizational characteristics and external factors, guided preparation contributes to a greater likelihood of achieving positive start-up outcome. This finding holds even after controlling for the entrepreneur's self-selection into contacting and using outside assistance.

Results suggest that self-selection bias remains a concern when studying the impact of assistance programs on start-up outcomes. Future research should make sure to address self-selection in their analysis.

The study's results have implications for the design of start-up programs. It highlights the importance of delivery structures that are fluid, flexible, interactive, experiential, and tailored to the individual entrepreneur's needs.

This study focusses on assistance programs broadly defined (includes many different types of programs) and provides an empirical analysis that addresses self-selection.

This paper aims to determine the entrepreneur's intention to accept artificial intelligence (AI) and provide advancement in the domain of digital entrepreneurship.

Extensive literature review and theories have been considered in the area of technology adoption/acceptance and digital entrepreneurship to identify the factors affecting the intention of entrepreneurs with respect to accept AI for digital entrepreneurship. Further, a model, artificial intelligence acceptance and digital entrepreneurship (AIADE) is theorized after formulating some hypotheses. The theorized model has been validated with 476 useable responses.

The findings revealed that performance expectancy, openness, social influence, hedonic motivations and generativity have a positive impact on entrepreneur's acceptance intention of AI. Additionally, affordance has no direct relationship with AI acceptance intention, but it affects AI acceptance intention through attitude. Inconvenience has a significant negative relationship with the intention to accept AI, while uncertainty was found to be positively affecting the AI acceptance intention. Effort expectancy did not confirm any significant relationship.

By considering existing theoretical models and concepts the authors contribute to the AI's theoretical progress, specifically in the domain of entrepreneurship. The authors complement and extend existing technology adoption/acceptance theories and digital entrepreneurship theories by developing a theoretical model, AIADE, explaining the entrepreneur's intention to accept AI.

The practical implications of the study show that performance expectancy (positive), openness (positive), social influence (positive), hedonic motivations (positive), generativity (positive), affordance through attitude (positive), uncertainty (positive), effort expectancy (negative) and inconvenience (negative) are the antecedents for the entrepreneurs to accept AI for digital entrepreneurship. The authors suggest that intentional improvement planning is developed by increasing entrepreneur's positive perceptions of AI affordance and explanation of its generativity and openness, and improving their attitude of using AI for digital entrepreneurship.

This is the first study that reveals the critical antecedents of entrepreneur's intention to accept AI for digital entrepreneurship. Relevant theoretical background, discussion, implications, limitations and future research recommendations are discussed.

There were numerous models that were developed with the explicit purpose of predicting the information system (IS) adoption behaviour. However, these models are criticized for the fact that they do not accurately capture the effect of external factors (unforeseen events) on individual intention, which may inhibit the act of adopting and using IS. The purpose of this paper is to investigate these external factors among entrepreneur(s) and measure how the individual's propensity to use affects the adoption and use of IS innovation. This paper will also attempt to investigate the key determinants of the adoption of IT innovation among entrepreneurs in Klang Valley, Malaysia.

Based on the research model, a questionnaire was developed, and data collected from entrepreneurs based in Klang Valley Malaysia. In all, 326 responses were collected, and the research model was applied using the structural equation modelling technique.

The performance expectancy and the propensity to act are salient determinants of behavioural intention to adopt and use IS innovation. An individual's pervasive decision to use IS innovations are strong factor that influences individual intention and behaviour prediction. Furthermore, precipitating events were determined to be the underlying factor that influences the behavioural intention for an adopter to actually adopt IS innovation(s). The finding(s) demonstrates that the probability of an intention actually translating into actual usage is higher if the precipitating events occur in their respective businesses.

It is important to evaluate this study's results and contributions in light of its limitations. This is an initial test for this model, and it should be subjected to further testing and refinement, particularly with regards to the precipitating events construct. One should be aware that an entrepreneur is exposed to various events and challenges that could involve their personal, family, career, and business life. Certain events related to these factors would impact the entrepreneurs differently, which might require different coping mechanisms. Future research should focus on the precipitating events related to their personal, family, career and business life, and which of these precipitating events are most prominently affecting their decision to actively use IS innovation.

End-users, particularly, as this study reveals, do prefer new IS innovation, but they may not use it as often. Thus, developers and or inventors of IS innovation need to understand factors that can influence users’ decision to adopt and use IS innovation. As for entrepreneurs, understanding factors that influence them to use IS innovation would enhance their sense on the relative importance of using the system. Furthermore, this study provides evidence concerning the role of precipitating events, which encourages or inhibits entrepreneurs towards IS related innovation adoption behaviour. This study makes clear that government policy and environmental factors, as well as work situation significantly influences an entrepreneur's intention in using IS innovation.

This study extends the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Some aspects of the Entrepreneurial Potential Model are incorporated into UTAUT, with the express purposes of capturing external variables. Additionally, the role of the volitional aspect of an entrepreneur's intention towards IS innovation are also taken into due consideration. This model assist the researchers in measuring the effect of pervasive decision and external factors on technology acceptance, and will provide essential information that explains the promotion of IS innovation adoption, usage and hindrance.

The purpose of this paper is to locate those entrepreneur human capital elements which significantly influence an enterprise's growth performance, within both high‐tech and traditional enterprises, thereby helping entrepreneurs understand that human capital elements will provide different impacts within different industries.

Under some necessary research assumptions, the statistical analysis described in this paper uses data collected from a questionnaire survey and is performed under the SPSS16.0 Program.

An enterprise growth model is built from the perspectives of entrepreneur human capital. Analysis shows that human capital elements of the same entrepreneur have different impacts on the performance of business growth in different industries. The theoretical model provides a better explanation of the high‐tech enterprises' growth performance. Innovation and business growth performances from a high‐tech enterprise have greater reliance on human capital of entrepreneurs than the traditional industries.

Most current studies of the human capital of entrepreneurs focus on the analysis of background characteristics, but inadequate attention has been given to the relationship between human capital and the enterprises' growth performance, as well as to the comparative analysis of entrepreneurs' human capital in high‐tech enterprises and traditional enterprises. This paper, however, compares and analyzes such relationships between high‐tech enterprises and traditional enterprises.