Founders and Beyond: Anchoring Competencies in Entrepreneurial Careers
Doctoral thesis, 2024
This thesis challenges the prevailing norm that equates entrepreneurial careers solely with firm founding. Traditionally, entrepreneurship research has emphasized startup creation as the hallmark of entrepreneurial activity, resulting in a binary categorization of individuals as either "entrepreneurs" or "non-entrepreneurs." This narrow perspective overlooks the diversity of career paths where entrepreneurial competencies are applied. Through a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with Venture Creation Program graduates, this thesis expands the understanding of entrepreneurial careers by positioning entrepreneurial competencies as central to career development.
Key findings reveal that entrepreneurial competencies are not confined to firm founding but are extensively utilized across various organizational contexts, including intrapreneurship, hybrid careers, and other roles outside the traditional entrepreneur label. The thesis identifies four entrepreneurial career archetypes: firm-builder, intrapreneur, surrogate, and nomad. These archetypes demonstrate that entrepreneurial careers are sustained through the continuous utilization of entrepreneurial competencies, rather than being defined by the singular event of founding a firm.
By reframing entrepreneurial careers to focus on competencies rather than firm founding, this thesis challenges conventional measures entrepreneurial competencies used in entrepreneurship research. It advocates for a broader, more inclusive definition of entrepreneurial careers that acknowledges the various ways individuals create value across their professional lives. This research contributes to a more nuanced and accurate understanding of entrepreneurial careers, offering valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers by highlighting the broader outcomes of VCPs beyond startup creation.
Key findings reveal that entrepreneurial competencies are not confined to firm founding but are extensively utilized across various organizational contexts, including intrapreneurship, hybrid careers, and other roles outside the traditional entrepreneur label. The thesis identifies four entrepreneurial career archetypes: firm-builder, intrapreneur, surrogate, and nomad. These archetypes demonstrate that entrepreneurial careers are sustained through the continuous utilization of entrepreneurial competencies, rather than being defined by the singular event of founding a firm.
By reframing entrepreneurial careers to focus on competencies rather than firm founding, this thesis challenges conventional measures entrepreneurial competencies used in entrepreneurship research. It advocates for a broader, more inclusive definition of entrepreneurial careers that acknowledges the various ways individuals create value across their professional lives. This research contributes to a more nuanced and accurate understanding of entrepreneurial careers, offering valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers by highlighting the broader outcomes of VCPs beyond startup creation.
entrepreneurial career
venture creation program
entrepreneurial competencies
career anchors
Vasa C, Vasa hus 3
Opponent: Professor Paul Jones, School of Management, Swansea University, Wales, United Kingdom
Author
Martin Stockhaus
Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Entrepreneurship and Strategy
Graduates of venture creation programs - where do they apply their entrepreneurial competencies?
Small Business Economics,;Vol. 60(2023)p. 133-155
Journal article
Mitigating the lack of prior entrepreneurial experience and exposure through entrepreneurship education programs
International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research,;Vol. 30(2023)p. 19-44
Journal article
Lundqvist, M., Stockhaus, M., & Williams Middleton, K. Anchoring sustained entrepreneurial careers beyond firm-founding.
Stockhaus, M., Lundqvist, M., & Williams Middleton, K. Shifting tides, stable grounds: career mobility of entrepreneurship education graduates.
Being Competent in Entrepreneurship Isn't Just About Founding Companies
When we hear the word "entrepreneur" we often think of a person starting their own business, a daring individual with a big idea, turning a garage startup into the next big thing. But is starting a company the only way entrepreneurial competencies are used? And if you didn’t start your own company, could you really call yourself an entrepreneur?
In this thesis I show and argue for that graduates of Venture Creation Programs (VCPs), programs designed to teach entrepreneurship, apply their competencies in a wide variety careers and contexts. Whether they’re innovating within large corporations, balancing side gigs alongside full-time jobs, or bringing fresh ideas to existing businesses, these "hidden entrepreneurs" are making a big impact in ways we often miss.
Through interviews and surveys with VCP graduates, I identified four distinct career paths, or what I call entrepreneurial career archetypes.
The Firm-Builder, who follows the traditional route of starting their own company.
The Intrapreneur, who shakes things up from inside a corporation, driving new ideas and innovation without starting their own business.
The Surrogate, who jumps in during crucial stages of growth for companies, helping them scale.
The Nomad, who loves constant challenges, moving from one project to the next, thriving on variety rather than stability.
In this thesis I argue that the scope and expectations of entrepreneurship education needs to adjust to the findings I point at. Instead of focusing purely on how many new startups a program can churn out, we should also value and celebrate the wide variety of ways entrepreneurial competencies are used. Entrepreneurial education should prepare students for diverse career paths, helping them recognize the value of their skills in any context, whether they start their own business or innovate within an existing one.
Ultimately, this work challenges the idea that entrepreneurial success is measured only by the number of startups launched. Many people create significant value using entrepreneurial competencies in roles that don’t involve founding companies. It’s time to expand our definition of what it means to be entrepreneurial and embrace the broader impact of these important, often unseen, career paths.
When we hear the word "entrepreneur" we often think of a person starting their own business, a daring individual with a big idea, turning a garage startup into the next big thing. But is starting a company the only way entrepreneurial competencies are used? And if you didn’t start your own company, could you really call yourself an entrepreneur?
In this thesis I show and argue for that graduates of Venture Creation Programs (VCPs), programs designed to teach entrepreneurship, apply their competencies in a wide variety careers and contexts. Whether they’re innovating within large corporations, balancing side gigs alongside full-time jobs, or bringing fresh ideas to existing businesses, these "hidden entrepreneurs" are making a big impact in ways we often miss.
Through interviews and surveys with VCP graduates, I identified four distinct career paths, or what I call entrepreneurial career archetypes.
The Firm-Builder, who follows the traditional route of starting their own company.
The Intrapreneur, who shakes things up from inside a corporation, driving new ideas and innovation without starting their own business.
The Surrogate, who jumps in during crucial stages of growth for companies, helping them scale.
The Nomad, who loves constant challenges, moving from one project to the next, thriving on variety rather than stability.
In this thesis I argue that the scope and expectations of entrepreneurship education needs to adjust to the findings I point at. Instead of focusing purely on how many new startups a program can churn out, we should also value and celebrate the wide variety of ways entrepreneurial competencies are used. Entrepreneurial education should prepare students for diverse career paths, helping them recognize the value of their skills in any context, whether they start their own business or innovate within an existing one.
Ultimately, this work challenges the idea that entrepreneurial success is measured only by the number of startups launched. Many people create significant value using entrepreneurial competencies in roles that don’t involve founding companies. It’s time to expand our definition of what it means to be entrepreneurial and embrace the broader impact of these important, often unseen, career paths.
Subject Categories
Work Sciences
Driving Forces
Innovation and entrepreneurship
ISBN
978-91-8103-116-4
Doktorsavhandlingar vid Chalmers tekniska högskola. Ny serie: 5574
Publisher
Chalmers
Vasa C, Vasa hus 3
Opponent: Professor Paul Jones, School of Management, Swansea University, Wales, United Kingdom