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When entrepreneurs interact and receive feedback they sort through and transform various subjective venture ideas into intersubjective venture concepts. This dissertation examines the dialogue of entrepreneurs in the nascent stages of opportunity development from a process theory approach to understand how entrepreneurs sort, navigate and make sense of ideas they encounter through feedback exchanges. Using conversational analysis, several conversation patterns are identified that shape the emergence process. Legitimacy associations, status quo assertions, experiential actualities, engagement hypotheticals, and deontic declarations contribute to the nonlinear opportunity emergence process. These discourse structures derived from speech acts are attended to, adopted, and implemented as they align with assessment filters of credibility, feasibility, desirability, and identity plausibility which are key elements of the opportunity interpretation process used during ideation and pivoting interactions. / Doctor of Philosophy / This dissertation explores the very early stages of the entrepreneurship processes of ideation and opportunity development. Using speech acts theory and conversation analysis, I describe how entrepreneurs do things with words and how they navigate conversations with others about their idea. I identify different kinds of conversations that can be used to sort through confusing comments and flesh out ideas into venture concepts that make sense to the entrepreneur and those they get feedback from who help shape their ideas. I explain why entrepreneurs listen to some ideas and not others when trying to make sense of a possible pivot.

This study investigates the opportunities and constraints of women's entrepreneurship in emerging countries, focusing on quantitative data from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Women entrepreneurs play an important role in socioeconomic growth, but they confront distinct challenges due to social, institutional, and familial constraints. Using a descriptive study approach, data were obtained from 277 female entrepreneurs via a structured questionnaire. The findings reveal substantial hurdles, such as limited resource access, societal norms, and budgetary limits, as well as reasons such as empowerment, financial independence, and flexibility. The study emphasizes the need for specialized interventions, such as financial support, education, and cultural mentorship, to boost women's entrepreneurial success. Policymakers should prioritize integrated measures that include community development, resource allocation, and mentorship to create a conducive environment for women entrepreneurs. Despite its contributions, the study's geographic and methodological limitations indicate areas for future research, notably in broadening the scope to cover varied socio-cultural contexts and delving into qualitative aspects of women's entrepreneurial experiences.

Different researchers and governments globally have recognised the importance of entrepreneurship in economic growth and job creation. In addition, entrepreneurial activity is crucial, locally and globally. Furthermore, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) recognises the contribution of entrepreneurial activity to economic growth and measures it by means of the total early stage entrepreneurial activity index (TEA). Since the TEA in South Africa is very low, the need exist for an investigation into the reasons thereof. GEM uses the entrepreneurial conditions such as entrepreneurial finance, government policies, government programmes, entrepreneurial education, research and development transfer, commercial and legal infrastructure for entrepreneurship, internal market openness and cultural and social norms to measure entrepreneurial activity. Viewing the different entrepreneurial conditions, education is recognised as one of the largest inhibiters of entrepreneurship since 2001. In this study an investigation on education in South Africa was conducted. The goal of this study was to enhance selected entrepreneurial competencies of grade 11 learners in Business Studies. The literature study indicated that various entrepreneurship views and definitions exist. The focus of this study is on the individual characteristics of the entrepreneurs. The literature study also indicated that different terms exist to describe these individual characteristics of the entrepreneurs. For the purpose of this study the term competency was used. Thirdly the literature study also showed that various entrepreneurial competencies exist. A selection needed to be done and by using the curriculum of Business Studies, grades 10 – 12 only certain competencies were selected. The following entrepreneurial competencies are used in this study: problem solving, creativity, flexibility, risk-taking, goal orientation, planning, teamwork, communication, self-confidence and capacity to learn. In this study a multi-method research design was used. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used. An intervention took place with an experimental (23 learners) and control group (24 learners). Firstly the experimental group was exposed to the intervention with the control group attending normal classes. After the completion of the intervention on the experimental group the roles were changed. The intervention of each group consisted of 24 days (28 sessions of between 35 and 43 minutes). In the quantitative research three tests were used to determine the possible enhancement of the selected entrepreneurial competencies. Both the experimental and control group were exposed to the three tests. In the qualitative research observations and interviews were used to measure the possible enhancement of the entrepreneurial competencies. Learners from both the experimental and control group were used in the interviews. The results of the quantitative and qualitative research clearly show an enhancement of entrepreneurial competencies of the learners. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the proposed framework is clearly highlighted. The use of the proposed framework will assist teachers in linking the theory (textbook) and practice (operations of the business in the simulation). In addition, the teacher can expose the learners to entrepreneurial competencies and therefore develop and enhance it. Another advantage is that this teaching approach can be included in the normal Business Studies classes without any interruption of normal school activities. A limitation of the study is the period of the intervention. A recommendation is that the proposed strategy for the enhancement of entrepreneurial can be used through out the academic year for the enhancement of entrepreneurial competencies. This will ensure that the entrepreneurial competencies are focussed on continuously and learners are empowered in this regard. With this study the researcher attempted to address the challenges in education in South Africa through the enhancement of entrepreneurial competencies and thus to address the low TEA. / PhD (Entrepreneurship), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the entrepreneurial orientation of a vehicle management and sales company. This was done to help design recommendations to establish an entrepreneurial orientation in the company and enhance the personal traits of the company. A vast journey into the body of knowledge about entrepreneurship emerged when the literature review of Chapter 2 resulted in the leaders in the field, internationally and local, gave shape and depth to the study. The empirical study was conducted by distributing a questionnaire to a target population of 120 employees. A total of 41 questionnaires were received and was used to conduct a statistical analysis on. The reliability of the questionnaire was tested by calculating the Cronbach Alpha coefficients for all the variables of entrepreneurial orientation as well as the personal traits. The data was used to calculate the mean and standard deviations of the individual responses for all the variables. The analysis also included the relationship between different demographic information and the variables of the study to test for any significant differences in the means. Conclusions were drawn from the data extracted from the questionnaires and recommendations were made based on the conclusions and the data on the relevant topics identified in the study. An action plan that supports the data, conclusions and recommendations was designed to help the company enhance the entrepreneurial orientation as well as the companies’ entrepreneurial behaviour. The study concludes with measurements of the objectives as well as suggestions for further research on the topic. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Different researchers and governments globally have recognised the importance of entrepreneurship in economic growth and job creation. In addition, entrepreneurial activity is crucial, locally and globally. Furthermore, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) recognises the contribution of entrepreneurial activity to economic growth and measures it by means of the total early stage entrepreneurial activity index (TEA). Since the TEA in South Africa is very low, the need exist for an investigation into the reasons thereof. GEM uses the entrepreneurial conditions such as entrepreneurial finance, government policies, government programmes, entrepreneurial education, research and development transfer, commercial and legal infrastructure for entrepreneurship, internal market openness and cultural and social norms to measure entrepreneurial activity. Viewing the different entrepreneurial conditions, education is recognised as one of the largest inhibiters of entrepreneurship since 2001. In this study an investigation on education in South Africa was conducted. The goal of this study was to enhance selected entrepreneurial competencies of grade 11 learners in Business Studies. The literature study indicated that various entrepreneurship views and definitions exist. The focus of this study is on the individual characteristics of the entrepreneurs. The literature study also indicated that different terms exist to describe these individual characteristics of the entrepreneurs. For the purpose of this study the term competency was used. Thirdly the literature study also showed that various entrepreneurial competencies exist. A selection needed to be done and by using the curriculum of Business Studies, grades 10 – 12 only certain competencies were selected. The following entrepreneurial competencies are used in this study: problem solving, creativity, flexibility, risk-taking, goal orientation, planning, teamwork, communication, self-confidence and capacity to learn. In this study a multi-method research design was used. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used. An intervention took place with an experimental (23 learners) and control group (24 learners). Firstly the experimental group was exposed to the intervention with the control group attending normal classes. After the completion of the intervention on the experimental group the roles were changed. The intervention of each group consisted of 24 days (28 sessions of between 35 and 43 minutes). In the quantitative research three tests were used to determine the possible enhancement of the selected entrepreneurial competencies. Both the experimental and control group were exposed to the three tests. In the qualitative research observations and interviews were used to measure the possible enhancement of the entrepreneurial competencies. Learners from both the experimental and control group were used in the interviews. The results of the quantitative and qualitative research clearly show an enhancement of entrepreneurial competencies of the learners. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the proposed framework is clearly highlighted. The use of the proposed framework will assist teachers in linking the theory (textbook) and practice (operations of the business in the simulation). In addition, the teacher can expose the learners to entrepreneurial competencies and therefore develop and enhance it. Another advantage is that this teaching approach can be included in the normal Business Studies classes without any interruption of normal school activities. A limitation of the study is the period of the intervention. A recommendation is that the proposed strategy for the enhancement of entrepreneurial can be used through out the academic year for the enhancement of entrepreneurial competencies. This will ensure that the entrepreneurial competencies are focussed on continuously and learners are empowered in this regard. With this study the researcher attempted to address the challenges in education in South Africa through the enhancement of entrepreneurial competencies and thus to address the low TEA. / PhD (Entrepreneurship), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the entrepreneurial orientation of a vehicle management and sales company. This was done to help design recommendations to establish an entrepreneurial orientation in the company and enhance the personal traits of the company. A vast journey into the body of knowledge about entrepreneurship emerged when the literature review of Chapter 2 resulted in the leaders in the field, internationally and local, gave shape and depth to the study. The empirical study was conducted by distributing a questionnaire to a target population of 120 employees. A total of 41 questionnaires were received and was used to conduct a statistical analysis on. The reliability of the questionnaire was tested by calculating the Cronbach Alpha coefficients for all the variables of entrepreneurial orientation as well as the personal traits. The data was used to calculate the mean and standard deviations of the individual responses for all the variables. The analysis also included the relationship between different demographic information and the variables of the study to test for any significant differences in the means. Conclusions were drawn from the data extracted from the questionnaires and recommendations were made based on the conclusions and the data on the relevant topics identified in the study. An action plan that supports the data, conclusions and recommendations was designed to help the company enhance the entrepreneurial orientation as well as the companies’ entrepreneurial behaviour. The study concludes with measurements of the objectives as well as suggestions for further research on the topic. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Comprised of a cover story and five separate but interrelated articles, this dissertation explores entrepreneurial learning. By connecting multiple theoretical perspectives, reviewing extant literature, using four qualitative datasets, and building theory inductively, the articles explain components to and mechanisms of entrepreneurial learning. This dissertation is one of the first to explore the essence of entrepreneurial learning by incorporating non-entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs simultaneously, cognitive processes, and contextual variables.  Learning lies at the core of entrepreneurship, and scholars have even argued that a theory of entrepreneurship requires a theory of learning. The literature suggests that experiences in the context of entrepreneurship triggers entrepreneurial learning, and that such learning relates to achieving ambitious goals, the discovery of new opportunities and better overall performance. Entrepreneurial learning has also been highlighted in contexts outside entrepreneurship and as a mean to fostering future entrepreneurs and developing people’s entrepreneurial attributes and characteristics. The idea is that entrepreneurship is a way of thinking and acting and that entrepreneurial learning can be of use to anyone, even to those lacking entrepreneurial experience. Entrepreneurial learning literature, both inside and outside the context of entrepreneurship, emphasizes triggers of entrepreneurial learning, but does not recognize components that enable those triggers to be recognized and acted on and the underlying mechanisms that distinguish entrepreneurial learning from other types of learning. This gap makes it difficult to assess what entrepreneurial learning is and how it can be enhanced for both entrepreneurs and people preparing for entrepreneurship. This dissertation explains how and why entrepreneurial learning can be understood as a simultaneous and active regulation of cognition, motivation, and emotions to achieve goals. This elaboration captures core components and the mechanism of entrepreneurial learning, and illustrates how it can be understood and enhanced in various contexts.

Esta tese investiga a ação empreendedora a partir de um ângulo pouco explorado na literatura: a gestão de incertezas interdependentes que afetam a ação empreendedora e de outras organizações que cocriam e codesenvolvem inovações. Pesquisas sobre ação empreendedora, planejamento, modelo de negócios e gestão de projetos sob incertezas focam no gerenciamento de incertezas presentes em um projeto de inovação ou que afetam uma empresa específica. Essas pesquisas não investigam casos nos quais as incertezas extrapolam o ciclo de vida de um projeto, ou seja, as incertezas que não podem ser equacionadas durante o processo de desenvolvimento do produto ou serviço, embora exerçam influência significativa no desempenho deles, no futuro. Essas pesquisas também não exploram conceitualmente e empiricamente as incertezas que afetam diversas organizações em um mesmo ecossistema. Para preencher essas lacunas, propomos uma abordagem alternativa para ecossistemas. Um ecossistema empreendedor pode ser descrito como uma rede interdependente de incertezas individuais (aquelas que afetam um ator específico) e coletivas (as que afetam um grupo de atores). A partir dessa proposição, a seguinte pergunta dirige este trabalho: como empreendedores gerenciam incertezas coletivas e individuais, presentes no ecossistema empreendedor, durante o advento de corridas tecnológicas? Nosso interesse é responder a essa pergunta em contextos envolvendo corridas tecnológicas, ou seja, situações em que diferentes ecossistemas disputam a liderança ou pioneirismo nas fases iniciais de uma nova trajetória tecnológica ou de um novo mercado nascido a partir de uma tecnologia. Para responder a essa pergunta, esta pesquisa constrói o seu quadro conceitual a partir de diferentes literaturas, tais como gestão estratégica com foco em ecossistemas, ação empreendedora, modelo de negócios, gestão de projetos sob incerteza e incertezas. Empregando uma abordagem de pesquisa empírica baseada em estudos de casos longitudinais e indutivos, investigamos seis ecossistemas empreendedores que nasceram para desenvolver e explorar comercialmente inovações radicais. A contribuição central desta tese é um framework que descreve como empreendedores, de forma proativa, gerenciam incertezas coletivas empregando os seguintes processos: conectando incertezas e mitigando e amplificando os efeitos da propagação de incertezas. Sugerimos que, se devidamente gerenciadas, as incertezas podem ser uma fonte de valor e vantagem competitiva para empresas empreendedoras e ecossistemas. Nesse sentido, foi desenvolvida uma abordagem holística e subjetiva de incerteza, oferecendo insights sobre a gestão de incertezas em ecossistemas. Espera-se que esta tese contribua para revigorar o debate sobre gestão de incertezas e estratégia, em empresas nascentes de base tecnológica. / This thesis investigates entrepreneurial action from an unexplored point of view in the literature: managing interdependent uncertainties that affect an entrepreneurial firm and other organizations that jointly create and develop innovations. Research on entrepreneurial action, planning, business model and project management under uncertainty focuses on managing the uncertainty present in an innovation project or affecting a specific company. It does not investigate cases in which the uncertainties extrapolate the life cycle of a project, i.e., the uncertainties that can not be equated during the process of development of the product or service and have significant influence on their performance in the future. Prior research does not explore conceptually and empirically uncertainties that affect different organizations in the same ecosystem. To fill this gap, we propose an alternative approach to ecosystems. An entrepreneurial ecosystem can be described as a network of interdependent individual uncertainties (that affects a specific actor) and collective uncertainties (that affect a group of actors). This thesis aims at understanding how entrepreneurs manage individual and collective uncertainties present in the entrepreneurial ecosystem during technological races, i.e., situations in which different ecosystems compete for leadership in the early stages of a new technological trajectory or in a new market. This research builds its conceptual framework from different literatures, such as strategic management focusing on ecosystems, entrepreneurial action, business model, and project management under uncertainty. This research proposes a framework that describes how entrepreneurs proactively manage collective uncertainties employing the following processes: \"connecting uncertainties\" and \"mitigating and amplifying\" the effects of propagation of uncertainties. We suggest that, if properly managed, uncertainties can be a source of value and competitive advantage for companies and ecosystems.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T16:44:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Cristiane Silva Penteado Bertolino.pdf: 895603 bytes, checksum: 1c64b8519d49d288d66d714aa059a848 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-24 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The purpose of this dissertation is to identify the entrepreneurial behavior of students of a private Higher Education institution (HEI), located in the city of São Paulo, with the porpoise of developing teaching methods that encourage entrepreneurship in all training courses. Researches indicate that some common behaviors among entrepreneurs contribute to the success of the entrepreneurial action. This research is a case study has a quantitative and qualitative nature that, through documentary survey, direct observation of practices and a questionnaire developed by McClelland (1972) and improved by Cooley (1991), aims to identify the presence of entrepreneurial behaviors in students of the HEI, object of this study. The survey results identified the persuasion behaviors and contact networks and take calculated risks had the lowest score which reinforces the need to develop relational skills in students to stimulate the expansion of the contact network. The existence of networks implies the expansion of available tangible and intangible resources. Offering features that go beyond the individual, it could cause the evolution of the behavior take moderate risks . Grouping behaviors in the clusters achievement , planning and power showed higher scores on planning . A principle of entrepreneurship is the partnership that is inserted into the set power that scored less, reiterating the need of teaching methods enhancing the networking / A finalidade desta dissertação é identificar os comportamentos empreendedores dos alunos de uma Instituição de Ensino Superior (IES) privada, localizada no município de São Paulo, que se propõe a desenvolver métodos de ensino que estimulem o empreendedorismo em todos os cursos de formação. Pesquisas indicam que alguns comportamentos comuns entre empreendedores contribuem para o êxito da ação empreendedora. Esta pesquisa é um estudo de caso de natureza quantitativa e qualitativa que, através de levantamento documental, observação direta de práticas e aplicação de um questionário desenvolvido por McClelland (1972) e aperfeiçoado por Cooley (1991), visa identificar a presença de comportamentos empreendedores nos alunos das IES, objeto deste estudo. Os resultados da pesquisa identificaram que os comportamentos persuasão e redes de contato e correr riscos calculados apresentaram a menor pontuação o que reforça a necessidade de desenvolver habilidades relacionais nos alunos para estimular a ampliação da rede de contatos. A existência das redes implica na ampliação dos recursos disponíveis, tangíveis e intangíveis. Dispondo de recursos que vão além do individual poderá haver evolução do comportamento correr riscos calculados . O agrupamento dos comportamentos nos conjuntos realização , planejamento e poder demonstrou pontuação mais elevada no planejamento . Um princípio do empreendedorismo é a parceria, que está inserido no conjunto poder que obteve menor pontuação, reiterando a necessidade de metodologias de ensino que valorizem a articulação em rede