LEARNING STRATEGIES OF HIGH-TECH ENTREPRENEURS ABOUT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

This two-phase, sequential mixed methods, utilising a qualitative, followed by a quantitative study was conducted with 178 high-tech entrepreneurs based in Israel. The study focuses on how entrepreneurs learn about business opportunities and explores the factors that affect the way they do it. A conceptual model is presented and then empirically tested. The results show that entrepreneurs learn strategically about business opportunities. Six learning strategies were identified as relevant to the process of opportunity identification. Prior knowledge of foreign markets was found as the most significant factor, while cognitive style was found to moderate the strength of the relationships between prior knowledge and the learning strategies. Entrepreneurs can benefit from these findings by recognising that they have a battery of learning strategies, which are relevant to the opportunity identification process. The identification of six learning strategies that are relevant to the process of opportunity identification is unique to this study.