Developing Entrepreneurial Behavior
Doctoral thesis, 2010

Can nascent entrepreneurs learn how to behave so as to achieve their ambition of creating new ventures? This thesis explores how the development of entrepreneurial behavior can be facilitated through investigating nascent entrepreneurship taking place at the university. The focus is on the influence of environmental factors and the processes involved as a new opportunity-based venture is created need to be considered when addressing entrepreneurial behavior development. The university is chosen to be an appropriate empirical setting as it is capable of facilitating activity resulting in the creation of new opportunity-based, high-growth potential ventures. An action research approach is used to study an intrinsic case, which is then compared to other environments in order to understand how behavior development is facilitated. A systems perspective allows for study of entrepreneurial behavior through contributions from different levels of analysis in a micro-aggregate mix, from the individual to society. Social Learning Theory, additional learning theories, and Positioning Theory are used to investigate how behaviors are developed and confirmed or rejected during interaction between the nascent entrepreneur and the role-set. Nascent entrepreneurs are hampered by liability of newness and lack of social networks. They benefit from training and support that facilitates establishing legitimacy as entrepreneur, and reducing uncertainty and ambiguity, thereby preparing for and making decisions as a new venture is created. Both structural and social components of environmental factors facilitate behavior development, as policies or norms are discussed and negotiated with a role-set. Learning through interaction with the role-set also facilitates hypothesis testing and feedback loops, allowing the nascent entrepreneur to take pre-emptive action, and reduce uncertainty and ambiguity. Nascent entrepreneurs can train in future business activities, while in the process of emergence, in order to develop behaviors for an entrepreneurial career.

nascent

entrepreneurial education

venture creation

self-efficacy

entrepreneurial behavior

pre-emptive action

interaction

facilitation

university

Vasa A
Opponent: Prof. Alain Fayolle, Department of Strategy and Organisation, Emlyon Business School, Lyon, France

Author

Karen Williams Middleton

Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Entrepreneurship and Strategy

Sustainable Wealth Creation beyond Shareholder Value

Innovative Approaches to Global Sustainability,; (2008)p. 39-62

Book chapter

Promises of societal entrepreneurship: Sweden and beyond

Journal of Enterprising Communities,; Vol. 4(2010)p. 24-36

Journal article

The venture creation approach: integrating entrepreneurial education and incubation at the university

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management,; Vol. 13(2011)p. 161-178

Journal article

Går det att lära sig att bli en entreprenör? Avhandling bygges runt en teori om socialt lärande, där beteende anses vara en konsekvens av personlighet och miljö. Det skulle alltså betyda att en entreprenör inte främst är en person med särskilda talanger eller egenskaper som ofta hävdats. Istället, egenskaper är det som gör en entreprenör förvärvade. Miljön ger legitimitet: fokus på förhållandet mellan osäkerhet, tvekan och risk. Universiteten ger de unga entreprenörerna en plats där de kan ta ansvar. De ger legitimitet och hjälpa individer oka sin säkerhet att tå beslut. Osäkerhet inför beslutsfattande har annars en hämmande inverkan på entreprenörskap. Strukturell kunskap, om lagar, regler, formalia och skattesystem är nödvändigt för att man som entreprenör ska kunna fatta bra beslut. Men sen finns olika sätt att tolka vilken information man behöver och vilka beslut man kan ta utifrån den informationen. Universiteten tillhandahåller också sociala nätverk: ”en rolluppsättning” (role set). På rollistan finns lärare, alumner, innovatörer och coacher. I utbytet mellan personerna i rolluppsättningen, och i diskussioner, lär sig deltagarna att fatta självständiga beslut. Det ger personlig legitimitet. Om både den strukturella och den sociala komponenten finns i miljön, ger det en positiv beteendeutvekling. Det uppstår ett utbyte mellan personerna i närmiljön som ger möjlighet att testa hypoteser och få feedback.

Subject Categories

Other Mechanical Engineering

Public Administration Studies

Pedagogy

Driving Forces

Innovation and entrepreneurship

ISBN

978-91-7385-455-9

Doktorsavhandlingar vid Chalmers tekniska högskola. Ny serie: 3136

Vasa A

Opponent: Prof. Alain Fayolle, Department of Strategy and Organisation, Emlyon Business School, Lyon, France

More information

Created

10/7/2017