Sammanfattning De senaste åren har tidsbegränsade bygglov blivit allt mer förekommande inom byggbranschen. Bostadsbyggnation är ett nationellt aktuellt ämne då bostadsbyggande inte förväntas avta i och med den bostadsbrist som råder i delar av Sverige. Därför ämnar denna studie undersöka hur företagare ser affärsmöjligheter i tidsbegränsade bygglov. Affärsmöjligheter är ett brett begrepp som är väl studerat och kan tolkas på olika sätt. I denna studie har vi valt att avgränsa affärsmöjligheter till tidigare erfarenheter och hur dessa kan vara avgörande för en företagare i dess beslutsfattande. På bostadsmarknaden är i många kommuner efterfrågan på bostäder högre än utbudet. Det skapar ett rådande problem som företagare ser affärsmöjligheter i att kunna avhjälpa med hjälp av att snabbt kunna påbörja byggnation med hjälp av tidsbegränsade bygglov. Regeringen arbetar ständigt med att underlätta lagar och regleringar för att underlätta användandet av tidsbegränsade bygglov. Några väl etablerade skribenter när det kommer till affärsmöjligheter är bland andra Baron & Ensley (2006), Saravathy (2001) samt Gudonavicius & Fayomi (2014). Dessa påpekar att erfarenheter spelar stor roll i beslutsprocessen, samt hur innovativitet och imitativitet hos företagare påverkar beslutsfattandet. Den teoretiska referensramen grundas på sekundär data publicerad av väl etablerade forskare inom affärsmöjligheter och bygglov vilka utgör studiens huvudrubriker. För att finna dessa publikationer har följande sökord används: Bygglov, tidsbegränsat bygglov, detaljplan, affärsmöjlighet, business opportunity, opportunity recognition, causation and effectuation, innovativ, imitativ. Studien är skriven utefter en kvalitativ metod där fem företagare aktiva inom tidsbegränsade bygglov blivit intervjuade på telefon. Intervjupersonerna är funna efter register insamlade från Kungsbacka kommun, Halmstad kommun, Göteborgs kommun samt Gävle kommun. Även via tips och rekommendationer från funna kontakter i samband med sökandet efter intervjupersoner till empirin. Författarna har i intervjuerna utgått från en intervjuguide och intervjuerna har därmed blivit öppna och varit möjliga att anpassa efter varje företagare och situation. Intervjuerna har skett kvalitativt för att ge en bred förståelse kring användandet av tidsbegränsade bygglov. Studiens analys framför att det i fångandet av affärsmöjligheter krävs att en företagare är aktiv, har förmågan att se trender och mönster på en marknad, samt hur den framtagna teorin stämmer överens med studiens intervjupersoner och hur de verkar i respektive företag. I analysen lyfts även skillnaden mellan en prövande och rationell beslutsprocess fram, och att det i praktiken kan vara svårt att dela in företagare i den ena eller den andra kategorin. Det viktigaste är att ha ett tydligt definierat mål, samt att hålla flexibilitet under projektets gång för att kunna bemöta problem som kan uppstå så effektivt som möjligt. Något som även lyfts fram i analysen är hur regleringar runt omkring bygglovsansökningar även påverkar ansökningsprocessen, exempel på dessa är planmonopol och detaljplaneprocessen. Tidsbegränsade bygglov innebär en kortare ansökningsprocess än den vid permanent bygglov. Studiens utfall visar att det skiljer sig i hur affärsmöjligheter uppstått vilket påverkat hur företagarna beslutat sig för att ta sig an projekt med tidsbegränsade bygglov. Hos alla respondenter finns en tydlig vinstfokusering, därmed inte sagt att denna endast är av ekonomisk karaktär. Vinst för företagarna kan även vara till exempel en möjlighet att etablera sig på marknaden.

The study seeks to explain how sustainable entrepreneurship occurs in a resource constrained setting. This is important as it improves our understanding of how entrepreneurs respond to adversity and develop opportunities that jointly address the social, environmental and economic dimensions of entrepreneurship. Previous research has discussed the antecedents, outcomes and contextual conditions that drive sustainable entrepreneurship. However, what is absent from this growing research body is knowledge of the mechanisms through which individuals engage in this type of entrepreneurship. The study seeks to answer the following research question: “How do individuals faced with resource constraints engage in sustainable entrepreneurship?” Using effectuation as a lens, a multi-method qualitative approach based on multiple case studies was adopted in this research and a mix of inductive and deductive analyses, also referred to as abductive analysis was employed. A sample of 5 sustainable enterprises were purposively selected in Uganda, located in sub-Saharan Africa. The results show that resource constraints compel the entrepreneurs to seek expertise and resources from others with mutual goals while controlling expenses. In the process the entrepreneur learns and adapts to the emergent opportunity. The entrepreneur’s actions are further influenced by passion that sustains the activity in the face of challenges. In this research, sustainable entrepreneurship is further explicated showing that the social, economic and environmental objectives exist in a state of shifting, supportive interaction of one another. The study clarifies our understanding of how entrepreneurs cope with inadequate resources. It explains the mechanisms through which individuals contending with resource constraints employ control as opposed to prediction strategies to exploit entrepreneurship opportunities. In this way the study contributes to the literature by proposing the fusion of cognitive and affective dimensions in realizing sustainable entrepreneurship goals. The study further suggests that the multiple objectives that typify the pursuits of sustainable entrepreneurs serve as supportive mechanisms and this puts into question arguments that these firms face comparatively larger challenges than those that singularly pursue economic objectives. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / PhD / Unrestricted

In the current digital era, social media has become an important element in the business world. Several theoretical studies have addressed the use of social media platforms in business operations. In this study, we tried to understand LinkedIn’s role in entrepreneurs’ effectuation processes by conducting 11 semi-structured interviews with (co-) founders in early stage startups across different industries in Sweden. Our research found that entrepreneurs utilized LinkedIn as one of their available means and used it extensively in their day-to-day business activities. LinkedIn helps entrepreneurs expand their networks and start partnership with people across border. LinkedIn also acts as an important source of information for early stage startups’ founders to be aware of what is happening in the industry and to be in control towards the shifting market. This thesis opens the door for future research to address the connection between social media platforms and entrepreneurs’ effectuation processes. This study can also trigger more entrepreneurs to adopt LinkedIn in their business operations.

Background: Environmental problems are a worrying phenomenon, and there is a call for action. One way to face these problems lies in sustainable entrepreneurship. There is an increase in sustainability-oriented incubators supporting these sustainable entrepreneurs on their entrepreneurial journey, using various support systems. However, there is little research available about the support systems sustainability-oriented incubators offer, the importance of these support systems, and the influence of entrepreneurial stages. Purpose: With our study, we provide sustainability-oriented incubator managers with insights into the importance of different support systems, the frequency in which they are offered and the role of different entrepreneurial stages. This allows sustainability-oriented incubators to support their tenants better and, therefore, positively influence sustainable entrepreneurship.  Method: A single case study method has been applied by using a mixed-method approach of qualitative semi-structured interviews and a quantitative questionnaire which was filled in prior to the interviews by the participants. In total, nine participants were interviewed, consisting of seven incubator tenants and two incubator managers. Conclusion: This research has found a high level of importance and frequency of business model support and market research support, irrespective of the different entrepreneurial stages. This implies a constant reiteration process from sustainable entrepreneurs, demanding a strong-intervention role from the sustainability-oriented incubator. Furthermore, this research has found the shortcomings in using the effectuation model for analysing entrepreneurial stages and suggests a different application.

Small business entrepreneurs in the United States often struggled or went out of business during the recession of 2007-2009. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the strategies entrepreneurs needed to grow their businesses during a recessionary period. The conceptual framework for the study was effectuation theory. The population consisted of small business entrepreneurs whose businesses survived the recession of 2007-2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. Data were gathered through semistructured interviews with 20 participants. Data organization and thematic analysis involved coding interview data and using software to categorize themes and subthemes. Major themes that emerged from the study included specification of characteristics of entrepreneurs, approaches to customer acquisition and retention, and decision making strategies. The findings might contribute to social change by adding to entrepreneurship literature and potentially leading to the development of resilient and adaptive entrepreneurs. Small business entrepreneurs who can sustain profitability during economic downturns benefit the community by providing jobs.

This study investigates the influence of investors on the sustainability orientation of startups and the use of causation and effectuation approaches. The aim of the study is to gain a comprehensive understanding of how and why investors influence startups in their sustainability orientation, and what impact this has on the use of causation and effectuation decision-making logics. While there are several studies on how sustainability orientation affects the funding success of, for example, venture capitalists or crowdfunding campaigns, little is known about how startups deal with their sustainability orientation to attract new investors, or after they have found and collaborated with an investor. The question here is to what extent startups allow themselves to be influenced by investors in their sustainability orientation, i.e. whether they increase, maintain or decrease it. In order to explore this context, the following research question was formed:  How does investor funding affect the sustainability orientation of startups, and how does this change the ongoing decision-making approach of startups?  We chose to use a qualitative research method in which interviews were conducted with Swedish startups. The interviews included questions about participants' experiences, feelings, and perceptions of investor influence on their sustainability goals, as well as approaches to causation and effectuation based on the characteristics of the theory established in the theoretical framework. During the interviews with the startups, we looked at different funding sources such as venture capitalists, business angels and local investment companies, and also considered different rounds of funding such as seed and startup funding.  The results of the study show that investors have an impact on the sustainability orientation of startups when there is a trade-off between the sustainability goals of the startups and the economic goals of the investors. In such cases, startups tend to neglect the environmental or social goals in order to enable the achievement of the investors' economic goals. This leads to a lower sustainability orientation and a stronger focus on economic objectives. With regard to the use of causation and effectuation logics, it can be seen that the startups influenced in their sustainability orientation switch from a causation logic before investor financing to an effectuation logic after investor financing in relation to the company's goals. All other examined characteristics of causation and effectuation, such as vision, strategies, conception of the product or service and the handling of uncertainty, do not indicate any changes.  Finally, this study adds insights to the existing theory of causation and effectuation on how a change in sustainability orientation affects the use of causation and effectuation logic. However, the study also has limitations, which is why we suggest that future studies conduct the study again in a new setting, e.g. in a different country and with different startups, in order to validate the results against the limitations.

Title: Narratives of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Cambodia and Its Impact on Entrepreneur’s Decision-Making Logic Authors: Mostafa Rezayi and Pisey Vuthy Level: Master Thesis, 30 hp Background: Entrepreneurial activities are impacted by various elements in an entrepreneurship ecosystem (EE). The interplay of such factors produces narratives that display the condition of EEs. Moreover, ecosystem narratives (EN) have significant impacts on the advancement of EEs and can determine entrepreneurs' decisions in establishing and expanding new ventures. Entrepreneurs in environments with fast and continual changes use either effectual or casual logic to make decisions based on various factors such as uncertainty, culture, and resource availability. The impact of EN on the decision-making logic of entrepreneurs has been investigated in supportive and developed EEs, such research, however, has not been undertaken in less developed EEs. Considering that EEs operate differently due to the differences in their elements, this study aims to identify ENs and investigate their impacts on entrepreneurs’ decision-making logic in Cambodian EE, which is less developed than the regional and global competitors. Research questions: What are the narratives of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Cambodia? How do narratives of the entrepreneurial ecosystem hinder or encourage effectuation and causation in Cambodian entrepreneurs? Purpose: This study aims to (1) identify the narratives of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Cambodia and (2) explain how the narratives affect entrepreneurs’ decision-making logic, whether it leads to effectuation or causation.Theoretical framework: Articles used for this thesis were meticulously chosen, focusing on reliable sources and quality content that cover the theoretical background of EE, EN, and effectuation and causation. This chapter included theories and findings on EEs and their main elements, which formed the basis of the interview guide and themes used to analyze the collected data. Further, information about the causes and effects of narratives in EEs was provided. Lastly, the concepts of causation and effectuation were discussed following the elements in the EE. Method: This study adopted the interpretive approach to creating new, richer understandings and interpretations of issues related to the impacts of narratives on the decision-making logic of entrepreneurs. The Cambodian EE is studied as a case to obtain detailed data and answer the research questions. A qualitative method was implemented to conduct ENs, and adequate data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 key actors in the EE. The gathered data were analyzed through a thematic narrative analysis method. Lastly, this paper followed an abductive reasoning approach. Findings: The common narratives within the Cambodian EE were identified through 12 semi-structured interviews with Cambodian entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors, and business incubators. The identified narratives illuminated that Cambodian entrepreneurs rely more on the effectual logic than the casual one to establish and expand their firms. This is due to narratives about, for instance, poor developed physical infrastructure, lack of essential resources, low social and moral support, and underdeveloped training and education system. Originality/Value: This is the first research investigating the impact of common narratives in a nascent and underdeveloped EE on entrepreneurs’ decision-making logic. Keywords: Entrepreneurial ecosystem, Ecosystem narratives, Decision-making logic, Effectuation, Causation.

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The Metaverse constitutes a unique and radical business field that decision-makers try to make sense of and make decisions in without knowing what it will become, or even if it will exist in the near future. This situation lays the foundation for investigating sensemaking and decision making in a present-day, fast-moving, and highly uncertain environment. This thesis investigates howdecision-makers have gone about making sense of the Metaverse and how those learnings are used when making decisions therein. A qualitative case study was conducted through field observations and semi-structured interviews with eight influential tech leaders. Our findings indicate that sensemaking is an integral part of decision-making and is performed through enacting, bracketing and retaining experiences through interacting with others. Furthermore, when making decisions in the Metaverse, our respondents pointed towards initially learning, experimenting, and tweaking decisions to make more thought through and goal-oriented choices as they become more knowledgeable. We conclude that decision-makers gain more knowledge and make better decisions by initially engaging in an effectuation approach to strategy. As a result, the study contributes knowledge to the literature on sensemaking and decision making under uncertainty, how decision-makers act regarding the Metaverse, and why some might be better at navigating a business in uncertainty.

My research attempted to provide the scientific community a more comprehensive understanding in terms of the determinants of China´s export growth. In order to reach this goal, I have divided my research mainly into two major phases. In phase one, I have concentrated on systematically review the Chinese literature, so that an overview of the determinants of China´s export growth from the Chinese academia can be generated. The purpose of phase one is to add valuable Chinese insights regarding China´s export considering the huge number of existing studies in the Chinese academia in the field of export determinants. Since the scarcity of individual level of factor which have influenced China´s export growth has been identified, I have conducted an in-depth qualitative case study in the second phase of my research to shed light on the micro-level mechanism of export decision process. In this way, the individual level determinants of China´s export growth has been explored and presented.