Journal of Business Venturing Insights最新文献

In recent decades, quantitative studies on university spinoffs (USOs) have begun to proliferate across disciplines. This study aims to systematically consolidate the measures used in the extant USO research into theoretical constructs, and connect the constructs to the entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) perspective. In doing so, this study examines the effect of university-level characteristics on the number of USO establishments and USO performance; it also evaluates measurement validities that can reflect constructs. The systematic review and thematic coding reveal four groups of 14 constructs from the measures identified in prior studies: university general characteristics, university research characteristics, university entrepreneurial characteristics, and technology transfer office characteristics. Our meta-analyses indicate that the relationships between the constructs and USO outcomes are generally significant, thereby providing evidence of the convergent and nomological validities of the measures. Research design has a limited impact on the relationships, but country moderates several relationships between university characteristics and USO outcomes. Following our meta-analytic review, we explain the contribution to university entrepreneurship ecosystem research and suggest a theoretically triangulated model for future studies.

This paper argues that the framework of entrepreneurs-as-scientists, portraying entrepreneurs as tasked with making precise and reliable inferences, and expressed in certain mathematical language, trivializes entrepreneurial practice. I highlight the challenges that arise from replacing the abstract notations of mathematical language with names from ordinary language of entrepreneurship. Co-opting of ordinary language for mathematical purposes distorts our understanding of business ideas, venture development, and entrepreneurial processes. At stake are different conceptions of the future. One creates the future within language, the other accepts that the future lies outside of language as an untameable realm of perpetual novelty.

Research conducted over the last three decades confirms that dopaminergic personality traits (Openness, Extraversion and the Industriousness aspect of Conscientiousness) are prominent among entrepreneurs. We highlight the continuum between dopaminergic traits, dimensions, temperaments, symptoms and psychiatric conditions (bipolar spectrum conditions, ADHD, substance and behavioral addictions, and OCPD) among entrepreneurs, and how behavioral manifestations of this continuum affect entrepreneurial action. Despite the pathological potential, the connection with some favorable outcomes of dopaminergic traits and psychiatric conditions suggests that atypical dopamine physiology may be one biomarker of the neurodiversity that distinguishes, empowers and endangers entrepreneurs. By showing the dopaminergic underpinnings of traits, dimensions, symptoms and conditions among entrepreneurs, we offer a unifying framework that contextualizes findings within the construct of dopaminergic differences – a framework that integrates otherwise isolated findings about the personality traits and psychiatric conditions of entrepreneurs. In other words, the neurodiversity biomarkers and bio-psycho-social characteristics found among entrepreneurs often reflect a polygenic endophenotype that features atypical dopamine physiology.

Transnational social entrepreneurs leverage their cross-border knowledge and experiences to create and exploit opportunities in multiple markets. However, this knowledge and experience is not homogeneous or equally distributed among them. In this paper, we examine how the social class experiences of 18 transnational social entrepreneurs from the African diaspora living in the West influence their transnational social venturing. We identify four types of Transnational Social Class Experience (TSCE)—Grounded, Elite, Fallen and Elevated—each associated with a different approach to transnational social venturing. Our key contribution is introducing and unpacking the concept of Transnational Social Venturing Advantage (TSVA): the unique benefits that transnational social entrepreneurs can gain when their economic experiences across multiple countries intersect with the varied sociocultural environments they encounter. We also develop a framework that elucidates the connections between TSCE and social venturing approaches through TSVA. Taken together, our study advances the literature on transnational social venturing by unpacking the social class experience dynamics that enable transnational social entrepreneurs to access resources and understand their beneficiaries. It also advocates for a shift beyond a low versus high social class dichotomy in the broader (transnational) entrepreneurship discourse to a spectrum-based approach that accounts for social class experiences gained across borders.

Crowdfunding has emerged as a pivotal mechanism for entrepreneurs and innovators to source capital directly from a diverse audience of backers. Our study analyzes the nuanced impact of projected certainty signaling on the success of crowdfunding campaigns. We argue that the degree of certainty conveyed in project descriptions has a curvilinear influence on project success. We underscore the importance of the consensus on this projected certainty being shaped by interactions between founders and backers. Our study has several implications for founders, backers, and platforms by offering valuable insights for enhancing crowdfunding strategies and interactions toward positive outcomes.

Empirical understanding of why individuals become former entrepreneurs is not well-established. This investigation draws upon Identity Theory and Role Exit Theory to explore patterns in Entrepreneurship in the Population (EPOP) Survey Project dataset. The key finding is a theory-consistent tension between commitment and obstacles encountered in predicting exit from the entrepreneur role. The likelihood of being a former entrepreneur is decreased by surrogate indicators of commitment such as having a business as primary personal income source. The likelihood is increased by proximal obstacles such as low levels of familial support. These patterns persist after statistical control for a wide swath of demographic and business characteristics. Based on these observed patterns, avenues for future research and implications for entrepreneurs, educators, and policymakers are considered.

The characterization of entrepreneurs as scientists (EaS) has become increasingly popular among management scholars because it fits neatly with existing theories of entrepreneurial action grounded in the assumption that entrepreneurs form and test beliefs in an intendedly rational fashion, under conditions of uncertainty, while continually seeking to obtain and process new information. Recent scholarship breathes new life into the EaS paradigm by proposing a framework that builds upon pragmatism in developing a microfoundational perspective concerning causally inferential action and rationality-based heuristics. Yet, the drift towards EaS is not without controversy. Business venturing is rarely analyzable through the lens of natural laws and orderly structures. Moreover, uncertainty is not the only knowledge problem (KP) that entrepreneurs confront. As such, EaS may be ineffective in bringing resolution to these other challenging KPs – ambiguity, complexity, and equivocality – especially when entrepreneurs are entertaining decisions to pivot or persist. In this sense, our work underscores the importance of EaS while also asserting the need for clear boundary conditions.

Entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) are complex social systems dependent on connectivity and shared understanding between diverse actors. An often used, albeit oversimplified view, implies that diverse actors connect, collaborate and contribute to the EE in an almost frictionless way. However, this perspective overlooks the need for deeper forms of communication that can shift actors' perceptions, goals and motivations to trigger meaningful change. Recent research has highlighted the role of conversations, narratives and stories in developing (informal) institutions and shared understandings. What is missing from this discussion, however, are non-verbal forms of communication, which enable interpretation, support meaning-making and help implementation. This paper draws on communicative institutionalism theory and empirical observations from a larger participatory action research project. We discuss how visuals support richer interpretation of ambiguities, different perspectives and collaborative sensemaking. Images act as boundary objects enabling creative associations, revealing assumptions and catalysing explorative dialogue through inherent ambiguity. Representing complex concepts visually facilitates participant engagement over time. The co-creative process of iterative illustration also captures shared meaning as it emerges. Implications highlight visuals’ potential for fostering future-oriented dialogue, reflective practice and embodied institutions fundamental for EEs. From this, we outline suggestions for further research and practice.

Family business successions are commonly considered as one of the most critical events of any family business. Yet, despite extensive research, current evidence on the actual extent to which family business owners accomplish, adapt, or even abandon their initial succession plans is astonishingly still lacking. This paper addresses this issue by overcoming some methodological limitations of previous research on family business successions. The results provide robust insights into a wide mismatch between desire and reality regarding family business succession planning. Thus, transgenerational continuation of family businesses should not be taken for granted. A considerable proportion of business owners abandon their initial succession plans, do not realize the succession in the intended timeframe, or close their business ultimately. There is also a remarkable number of unintended business transfers which have received little attention in research to date.

Advice abounds on how to implement large-scale social change, much of which emphasizes a simplistic linear process, led by a heroic central actor. Rigorous case studies have shown that social change is far more complex: it is a reciprocal, iterative, and adaptive process, with multiple stakeholders who work backstage in networked, committed teams. Despite this, the myth of the social entrepreneur as a transformative change maker capable of scaling innovations to a societal level, still holds sway over social innovation support programmes and business school curricula. Using illustrative examples of successful efforts of large-scale social change across three of the most pressing international social challenges: access to medicines, the integration of migrant populations, and reorganizing social care models, we illustrate how conceptualizing social change as driven by iconic individuals is often counter-productive in terms of achieving impact at a societal level. Based on these analyses, we present five insights which illustrate how the mythology of social entrepreneurship and simplistic scaling concepts are often contrary to the practices employed within successful efforts to bring about social impact. Three counteracting principles for those leading, evaluating and funding innovative change efforts within complex systems are discussed and contrasted with the pervasive mythology of social entrepreneurship and linear scaling processes.