Search results

The entrepreneurial process often cannot be explained by a single entrepreneurial theory. Instead, it is more likely the result of the interaction between various entrepreneurial behavior patterns and different environmental conditions. However, existing research has frequently overlooked the complexity inherent in the entrepreneurial phenomenon. Building on a configurational perspective, this study aims to examine how new ventures can use different behavioral configurations to achieve high performance amid various uncertain environments.

Based on the survey data from 143 new start-ups in China’s software industry, this study uses fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).

This study jointly considers multiple entrepreneurial behaviors − causation, effectuation and entrepreneurial bricolage and different types of environmental uncertainty − state uncertainty, effect uncertainty and response uncertainty. The findings reveal three behavioral configurations for high/nonhigh new venture performance.

This study expands previous insights into the relationship between entrepreneurial behaviors and new venture performance from the perspective of configurational theory. Moreover, it offers new insights into the types of uncertainty, further refining our understanding of the uncertainties inherent in entrepreneurial activities.

This study explores the structure of founders’ hybrid personal identities and their relationship to social venture performance. The authors hypothesize that founders experience the tension between the social and commercial goals of their venture as a paradox rooted in their personal values.

The authors surveyed 112 social enterprise founders in Chile and used structural equation modeling to test hypotheses about the relationship between self-transcendent values (i.e. promotion of others’ welfare and care for nature) and self-enhancement values (i.e. pursuing own interests and power over others) on a multidimensional scale of social venture performance.

Self-transcendence and self-enhancement are distinct yet interrelated values that coexist within social venture founders (i.e. they constitute a paradox). Self-transcendence values negatively moderate the positive relationship between self-enhancement values and social venture performance.

Mere benevolence is insufficient for effective social venturing; success depends on the founder’s self-enhancement values or their “drive” to succeed. Founder values can thus inform organizational design choices (e.g. tasks, team composition, structures and processes) and guide public and private investment decisions.

This research empirically assesses the structure of hybrid personal identities, uncovering how the concurrent action of self-transcendence and self-enhancement values influences social venture performance. The authors challenge the belief that balancing social and commercial goals benefits social venture performance. Best-performing ventures are those whose founder’s exhibit high self-enhancement and low self-transcendence values.

High failure rates characterise the experience of new entrepreneurial ventures in Nigeria and other emerging economies. Reliance on strategic tools such as entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is critical to the growth and survival of new ventures. This empirical study aims to deepen the understanding of the relationship between EO and performance of new venture logistics firms in Nigeria. It further explores the contingent effects of social capital and marketing capabilities on the hypothesised direct relationships from a transport industry perspective.

Managers of 650 new venture logistics service providers in selected Nigerian cities were Web-surveyed. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. Regression analysis was further performed. Common method variance and other validity checks were assessed.

The 469 valid responses showed a positive relationship between EO and new venture performance (NVP). Social capital and marketing capabilities positively moderate the direct relationship between EO and NVP. Managerial implications suggest that context-specific dynamics must be considered when making strategic EO decisions to aid firm growth and survival.

This study directly responds to the contingency approach recommendation of past studies (Anwar et al., 2022; Van Stel et al., 2021; Covin and Wales, 2019) using the logistics service and emerging economy context. It also introduces social capital and marketing capabilities as moderators.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of entrepreneurial passion, specifically venture obsession, in agentic relationships within entrepreneurial contexts. It aims to develop a new conceptualization of the role of the venture in these relationships and explore the negative impacts that can arise from the obsessive passion for the venture. The paper contributes to the literature by shedding light on the complexities of agency outside of large for-profit firms, unpacking components of self-interest in the agentic relationship and challenging the assumption that entrepreneurial passion is always beneficial for both the entrepreneur and the venture.

This paper employs theoretical framework development and conceptual mapping to explore the role of entrepreneurial passion, specifically venture obsession, in agentic relationships within entrepreneurial contexts. We conducted a comprehensive literature review and synthesis of existing research on agency theory, entrepreneurial passion and venture obsession. By integrating these insights, we developed a new conceptual framework that theorizes the negative impacts of venture obsession on agentic relationships and venture performance. This approach allows us to propose a nuanced model that highlights the complexities and potential maladaptive behaviors associated with obsessive passion in entrepreneurship.

Venture obsession can have detrimental outcomes, such as escalation of commitment and ignoring external feedback, due to the intense focus on protecting the venture at all costs.

The study highlights the impact of venture obsession on agentic relationships, emphasizing the balance between autonomy, competence and relatedness that entrepreneurs strive to maintain for their well-being. While previous research has explored the role of entrepreneurial passion and its effects on venture performance, this study extends the understanding by delving into the darker side of passion when it transforms into obsessive agency. By emphasizing the importance of maintaining a healthy balance in agentic relationships and considering the psychological well-being of entrepreneurs, this study adds nuance and depth to the existing knowledge on the subject.

This study examines the role of social media adoption (SMA), opportunity recognition (OR) and opportunity exploitation (OE) in mediating the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and the performance of newly established small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging economies, with a particular emphasis on Ghana.

This study adopts a post-positivist philosophical stance and uses a quantitative approach and a survey design. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 336 SME owners and managers from Ghana’s manufacturing, trading and service sectors. Questionnaires were administered to source the empirical data for this study. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the proposed hypotheses.

The results reveal that EO positively and significantly influences the performance of new-born SMEs. SMA, OR and OE partially mediated this relationship.

This study is a wakeup call to policymakers, practitioners, managers and owners of recently established businesses. Policymakers should provide support and resources for newly established SMEs to adopt effective social media marketing strategies, bolstering their online presence and customer engagement. Simultaneously, they should invest in entrepreneurship education and create an environment conducive to innovation to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among fresh SMEs. Business owners and managers should proactively monitor market trends and consumer preferences, adapting their strategies to identifying and seizing emerging opportunities.

This study introduces a significant novelty to previous literature and one of the first to employ the dynamic capability theory to examine the interplay between EO, SMA, OR and OE in influencing the performance of new SMEs in the context of emerging markets. Furthermore, it extends the scope of understanding of the mechanisms through which SMEs can prosper in these dynamic environments. This unique combination of theoretical framework, comprehensive variables and contextual focus sets this study apart from existing research, enriching the literature on SME performance in emerging markets.

The purpose of this study is to delineate the differences in how contextual factors (i.e. funding, market reach and talent) influence performance of entrepreneurial ecosystems in advanced and emerging economies.

Building upon the biological perspective on entrepreneurial ecosystems, in this study we conduct the fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) on the sample of 100 entrepreneurial ecosystems across 25 advanced economies and 21 emerging economies. The fsQCA allows us to embrace the causal complexity that characterizes the relationship between multiple contextual factors and ecosystem performance in countries with different levels of economic development.

The results elucidate how the level of a country’s economic development influences the interplay of contextual factors and their collective impact on the performance of entrepreneurial ecosystems across advanced and emerging economies.

Our findings provide useful guidance for practitioners and policymakers aiming to cultivate conducive environments for nurturing new ventures within local ecosystems, which will stimulate the economic growth of the regions and narrow the gap between advanced and emerging economies.

This study delineates the complex interactions of key contextual factors and their joint impact on ecosystem performance in emerging economies, in comparison to ecosystems in advanced economies. By looking into differences of antecedents of high and low performance of ecosystems embedded in countries with distinctive level of economic development, this study goes beyond prior research that primarily focused on singular countries or regions.

Entrepreneurial action under uncertainty has captured the interest of scholars and practitioners alike. However, this growing body of research has yet to connect entrepreneurial action with actual actions of entrepreneurs. We combine insights from effectuation theory and the psychology of entrepreneurship to investigate drivers of entrepreneurial actions involved in starting and running ventures, particularly optimism, self-efficacy and the use of causal and effectual logics.

The study employs a unique mixed-method approach combining a survey with experience sampling data. After measuring demographics, preference for effectual or causal logics and psychological variables, the 197 US entrepreneurs sampled entrepreneurs logged their daily actions in the form of asks during 60 consecutive days.

Results suggest that self-efficacy and causal logics are key drivers of entrepreneurial actions, while optimism serves as a deterrent. Interestingly, the impact of self-efficacy on actions is moderated by the entrepreneur’s experience level, measured both in years and past asking experience.

The potential of the ask as the basic mechanism for entrepreneurial actions is explored. Based on the findings, the authors offer new and fertile insights by linking psychological traits to entrepreneurial actions, causal and effectual logics and entrepreneurial expertise development.

Foreign subsidiaries of multinational enterprises (MNEs) operate in complex and competitive international environments, implement market and non-market strategies, manage resources and value-added activities and contribute to the overall performance of their parent firms. Thus, the research question on the determinants of MNE foreign subsidiaries’ performance is of interest to managers and academic researchers. The empirical literature has flourished over the recent decades; however, the domains are fragmented, and the findings are inclusive. The purpose of this study is to systematically review, analyse and synthesize the empirical articles in this area, identify research gaps and suggest a future research agenda.

This study uses the qualitative content analysis method in reviewing and analysing 150 articles published in 24 scholarly journals during the period 2000–2023.

The literature uses a variety of theoretical perspectives to examine the key determinants of subsidiary performance which can be grouped into six major domains, namely, home- and host country-level factors; distance between home and host countries; the characteristics of parent firms and of subsidiaries; and governance mechanisms (the establishment modes and ownership strategy, subsidiary autonomy and the use of home country expatriates for transferring knowledge from the headquarters and controlling foreign subsidiaries). A range of objective and subjective indicators are used to measure subsidiary performance. Yet, the research shows a lack of broader integration of theories and presents inconsistent theoretical predictions, inconclusive empirical findings and estimation bias, which hinder our understanding of how the determinants independently and jointly shape the performance of foreign subsidiaries.

This study provides a comprehensive, nuanced and systematic review that synthesizes and clarifies the determinants of subsidiary performance, offers deeper insights from both theoretical, methodological and empirical aspects and proposes some promising avenues for future research directions.

This study aims to explore the impact of different contextual factors and their interactions on university students' entrepreneurship, specifically start-up activities.

The paper used a multilevel hierarchical model with four contextual factors: i) industry and technological, ii) institutional and policy, iii) organizational-university; and iv) cultural. Each of these factors might influence university students’ start-up activities differently. To address this exploratory direction, the study used a sample of 34,200 nascent entrepreneurs from 34 countries included in the Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit students’ Survey, along with data from the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index, Global Entrepreneurship Index and Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness Index.

The results show that, in general terms, contextual elements impact university students’ start-up activities. Nevertheless, when these factors are combined, their effect increases strongly with the performance-based culture but decreases with a high level of a socially supportive culture.

Regarding the study of university students’ start-up activities, most scientific evidence has an individual-level approach without considering the influence of the context. The paper adopts a multilevel approach for such analysis to reflect the multilevel and context-dependent nature of the topic under study.

Este estudio explora el impacto de diferentes factores contextuales y sus interacciones en el espíritu empresarial de los estudiantes universitarios, concretamente en las actividades de puesta en marcha.

El trabajo emplea un modelo jerárquico multinivel con cuatro factores contextuales: i) industriales y tecnológicos, ii) institucionales y políticos, iii) organizativos-universitarios; y iv) culturales. Cada uno de estos factores podría influir de forma diferente en las actividades de puesta en marcha de los estudiantes universitarios. Bajo un enfoque exploratorio, el estudio utilizó una muestra de 34.200 emprendedores nacientes de 34 países incluidos en la Encuesta Global de Estudiantes Universitarios con Espíritu Emprendedor (GUESSS por sus siglas en inglés), junto con datos del Índice de Competitividad Global (GCI), el Índice de Espíritu Emprendedor Global (GEI) y el Índice Global de Liderazgo y Eficacia del Comportamiento Organizacional (GLOBE).

Los resultados muestran que, en términos generales, los elementos contextuales influyen en las actividades de creación de empresas de los estudiantes universitarios. Sin embargo, cuando se combinan estos factores, su efecto aumenta considerablemente en países con una cultura basada en el rendimiento, pero disminuye en las de un alto nivel de apoyo social.

En lo que respecta al estudio de las actividades de creación de empresas de los estudiantes universitarios, la mayoría de las pruebas científicas tienen un enfoque a nivel individual sin tener en cuenta la influencia del contexto. Nuestro trabajo adopta un enfoque multinivel para dicho análisis con el fin de reflejar la naturaleza multinivel y dependiente del contexto del tema estudiado.

Este estudo explora o impacto de diferentes fatores contextuais e suas interações no empreendedorismo dos estudantes universitários, especificamente nas atividades de start-up.

O artigo utilizou um modelo hierárquico multinível com quatro fatores contextuais: i) industrial e tecnológico, ii) institucional e político, iii) organizacional-universitário, e iv) cultural. Cada um desses fatores pode influenciar de maneira diferente as atividades de start-up dos estudantes universitários. Para abordar essa direção exploratória, o estudo utilizou uma amostra de 34.200 empreendedores de 34 países incluídos na Pesquisa Global sobre o Espírito Empreendedor dos Estudantes Universitários (GUESSS), juntamente com dados do Índice de Competitividade Global (GCI) do Fórum Econômico Mundial, do Índice Global de Empreendedorismo (GEI) e do Índice de Liderança Global e Eficácia Organizacional (GLOBE).

Os resultados mostraram que, em termos gerais, elementos contextuais impactam as atividades de start-up dos estudantes universitários. No entanto, quando esses fatores são combinados, seu efeito aumenta fortemente com a cultura baseada em desempenho, mas diminui com um alto nível de cultura socialmente solidária.

No que diz respeito ao estudo das atividades de start-up dos estudantes universitários, a maioria das evidências científicas tem uma abordagem em nível individual sem considerar a influência do contexto. Nosso artigo adota uma abordagem multinível para tal análise, a fim de refletir a natureza multinível e dependente do contexto do tema em estudo.

Entrepreneurial support programs, like incubators and accelerators, often offer mentorship to new ventures. However, existing research on mentoring has mainly focused on the entrepreneur's perspective, leaving researchers with limited understanding of why experienced mentors provide support to new ventures. This study aimed to explore mentors' motives in mentor–venture relationships and their impact on the advisory process. It also examined different types of mentors (social and commercial) and their motivations for assisting and supporting new ventures.

The present study utilizes a qualitative research approach to investigate the motivations and mechanisms through which new venture mentors assist founders in their growth and success. In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 mentors supporting both social and commercial ventures. These mentors were selected from ten accelerator and incubator programs situated in Belgium. The interviews aimed to gain insights into the mentors' motivations and their experiences in the role of mentors.

Based on the social exchange theory and the norm of reciprocity, this study identified two main motives of mentors: “gaining back” reflecting mentors’ self-interest in deriving benefits from the relationship and “paying back” representing their altruistic reasons for supporting new ventures. Additionally, the study identified mentor functions that primarily involved providing career-related support to new ventures. Moreover, the research revealed intriguing similarities and differences in the motivations and mentoring functions between mentors of social and commercial ventures.

Future research should explore the evaluation process and criteria used by mentors and new ventures when selecting each other for a productive mentoring relationship. Additionally, further investigation is needed to examine the firm-level impact of various mentoring services on the performance of social and commercial new ventures at different stages of development. Comparing mentor motives and functions across diverse geographical settings would address the limitation of the study and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.

The findings of the study can inform policymakers, accelerator and incubator program managers and new ventures seeking mentors and support initiatives. They can use the insights to design effective mentoring programs that align with the specific needs and motivations of mentors and new ventures. Understanding the different motives and functions of mentors can help in the selection of appropriate mentors who can provide the necessary support and expertise to new ventures.

The study highlights the importance of mentorship in the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Accelerator and incubator programs play a crucial role in connecting new ventures with mentors who have the right motivation and expertise, contributing to the growth and success of new ventures and the overall entrepreneurial ecosystem. By identifying both altruistic and self-interest motivations in mentoring relationships, the study emphasizes the dual dimensions that characterize the mentor–venture relationship. This understanding can foster stronger collaborations and reciprocal exchanges between mentors and new ventures, ultimately benefiting both parties.

This research contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by exploring the mentor–new venture relationship from mentors' perspective. It expands the existing research on mentor–protégé relationships, broadening the understanding of mentoring dynamics in different organizational settings. The findings offer insights grounded in social exchange theory and provide directions for future research on mentor–venture relationships, resource exchange and relationship development. The study also holds practical implications for policymakers and program managers involved in fostering mentoring initiatives for new ventures.