The dairy industry has undergone a dynamic phase during the past two decades. Innovations in terms of technologies, processes, and products have changed the way the production of milk is done. This research takes an exploratory approach to look at the process of opportunity discovery within farm businesses and what firms in the dairy industry are doing to become more innovative. In addition, this research looks at the strategies farmers are using to successfully implement those innovations. An important factor that could affect the performance of a firm is the degree of which the firm is able to become aware of and exploit innovations that help bridge productivity and opportunity gaps. Data is collected through qualitative tools, including in-depth interviews of dairy producers from Saskatchewan, Canada and Aguascalientes, Mexico. Such data collection provides this research with specific insights into the process of opportunity discovery. It also indicates which managerial practices moderate the successful discovery and exploitation of business opportunities in the dairy industry. A theoretical framework was developed around four managerial factors; networking, human capital, market orientation and entrepreneurial orientation. Several propositions were built to identify the impact of these factors on the discovery and exploitation of opportunities in the dairy industry in both Canada and Mexico. This research shed more light on why some producers are more productive than others and how this is allowing some dairy producers to be more profitable. In addition, findings compare both industries and the differences and similarities are shown in terms of operations, managerial styles and processes in which the discovery and exploitation of opportunities take place.

L’objectif de cette thèse est d’apporter de nouveaux éclairages théoriques et empiriques sur la formation des opportunités entrepreneuriales. Pour mieux comprendre ce phénomène, nous avons mobilisé deux principales approches, l’approche de la découverte et l’approche de la création des opportunités. Une étude quantitative basée sur un questionnaire a été menée auprès d’entrepreneurs tunisiens afin de déterminer les facteurs de formation de l’opportunité entrepreneuriale. Les résultats montrent que dans le contexte tunisien, la découverte des opportunités est dominante étant donné que l’écosystème entrepreneurial tunisien ne favorise pas l’innovation et la création des opportunités. Ce travail de recherche contribue à la connaissance des pratiques de l’entrepreneuriat et des modes d’accompagnement des entrepreneurs. / The purpose of this thesis is to bring new theoretical and empirical insights about the formation of entrepreneurial opportunities. For getting a better understanding of this phenomenon, we have followed two main approaches: the discovery approach and the creation-of- opportunities approach. A quantitative research based on a questionnaire was conducted among a number of Tunisian entrepreneurs in order to identify the factors that have influenced on the formation of entrepreneurial opportunities. The results of the research show that the discovery of opportunities is prevalent given that the Tunisian entrepreneurial ecosystem does not promote innovation, and creation of opportunities. This research work contributes to the knowledge of entrepreneurial practices and the modes of coaching entrepreneurs.