Failure is something which most people probably try to avoid. However, even though entrepreneurial failure can put the entrepreneur through emotional, social and financial stress, it can also be viewed as a learning experience (Ucbasaran et al., 2013) and as an opportunity for the entrepreneur to gain human capital like knowledge and skills (Quan & Huy, 2014).The purpose of this thesis is to investigate what impact business failure and human capital have on the entrepreneurial learning of habitual entrepreneurs. Drawing on theory from the field of entrepreneurial failure, human capital and learning, this multiple case study has investigated eight habitual entrepreneurs qualitatively through semi-structured interviews.  The findings suggest that entrepreneurial failure is strongly connected to learning regardless of whether the failure is a bankruptcy or a smaller failure, and on the other hand that financial cost after failure can act as a barrier to learning. In addition, the findings suggest that human capital is is both an outcome of learning, in the sense that knowledge and skills increase with learning, but also that human capital is an enhancer of further learning as well. This implies that entrepreneurs on one hand should be aware of the risks of suffering financially after a failure, but on the other hand that failure can potentially be beneficial and positive as well due to the learning, knowledge and skills it generates.

Intelligent failure occurs when an entrepreneurial initiative falls short of its anticipated performance. It provides valuable new knowledge to the organisation and is recognised as an important factor in long-term corporate entrepreneurial success. This thesis is located within the domain of corporate entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial failure, and explores the various processes of intelligent failure. The specific aim of this thesis is to learn how organisations manage intelligent failure. Research takes an inductive approach with the predominant use of a qualitative methodology and, as part of a multiple case study strategy, research is carried out in six organisations operating in differing sectors within the UK. Findings indicate that the organisations often fail to manage intelligent failure. There is little evidence of a strategic approach to learning from failure and, where learning occurs, it is predominantly unstructured. This is significant because literature consistently argues that a structured process is required to manage learning from failure successfully. This research recognises that structured processes may be more effective than unstructured processes when looked at in isolation. However, this thesis argues that unstructured mechanisms do have inherent value. Therefore, when organisations develop failure management processes, a dual path may be considered, which might extract value from both systems as is contextually appropriate. This may enable organisations to maximise their ability to learn from failure. This thesis adds to existing management theory in the corporate entrepreneurship domain. In specifically focusing on the structured and unstructured forms within the process of intelligent failure, this thesis addresses a gap in current literature. It also adds to existing literature that centres on the practical management of the learning from failure process.

This thesis sets out to study how entrepreneurial failure takes form and how entrepreneurs are affected by entrepreneurial failure. This study aims to contribute another perspective of the mindset of entrepreneurial failure to academic research. Through a qualitative method and a quantitate analysis, this study explores how failure takes form and how entrepreneurs respond to failure. This study present empirical material of failure present itself and how a larger personal investment in an entrepreneurial career affect entrepreneurs self-image. Entrepreneurs learn by direct interactions and failures are is part of an entrepreneurs learning process. The findings of this study present that entrepreneurial failure takes multiple different forms and failure within entrepreneurship presents itself when an entrepreneur has lost financial capital, clients, a larger amount of time invested in something who didn’t benefit the venture or energy. The findings in this study show how the idea of practising entrepreneurship as a lifestyle can have negative effects on entrepreneurs health and self-esteem. The analysis explains how entrepreneurs who differentiate themselves from their failures can learn from experience because they view their actions objectively.

Purpose The  purpose  of  this  thesis  is  to  identify  the  role  of positive  emotions  in  project  failure  and  how  these emotions  affect  corporate  entrepreneurs´  decision-making and motivation. Theoretical perspective Entrepreneurial Failure, Emotions, Appraisal Theory, Attribution  Theory,  Psychological  Ownership,  Psychological Capital. Empirical foundation Seventeen respondents from 14 entrepreneurial companies  were  interviewed to identify  the role of positive emotions in  project failure and  their impact  on corporate entrepreneurs’  decision-making  and motivation in subsequent projects. Interviews were conducted by phone (1), audio conference (2), video conference (3) and face-to-face interviews (4). Conclusion We  offer  a  model,  which  shows  the  three  positive emotions that were found to be experienced in project failure, namely relief, confidence and challenge and their  impact  on  corporate  entrepreneurs’  decision-making and motivation in subsequent projects.

Magister Economicae - MEcon / Entrepreneurship has been regarded as a solution to various developmental challenges such as unemployment, inequality, and poverty, which are inherent among the marginalised populations. However, the high rate of failure of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) remain an impediment to the use of entrepreneurship as a means to ameliorate the challenges. This is especially the case among young entrepreneurs. In addition, given the imperativeness of financial literacy in the success of SMEs, this study determines the influences of financial literacy on entrepreneurial success within the marginalised communities. It also explores and identifies the reasons why failure rates are high among young entrepreneurs in the economically disadvantaged community of Khayelitsha, Cape Town. This study employs a concurrent mixed methods design, making use of both quantitative and qualitative data. A survey is conducted in Khayelitsha using the snowballing sampling technique due to difficulty in accessing young entrepreneurs. The quantitative data from the survey provides demographic and socioeconomic information on young entrepreneurs

The restaurant industry plays an essential role in the U.S. economy. Approximately 26% of small- and medium-sized enterprise restaurants fail during their first year of business operation and 60% cannot sustain beyond 3 years. The objective of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that small- and medium-sized restaurant owners used to financially sustain business beyond 5 years. The purposive sample consisted of 4 successful restaurant owners who have been in operation for at least 5 years in the southern region of the United States. The general systems theory was the conceptual framework of this study. The data were collected from semistructured interviews, cash flow statement, and profit and loss statements. Member checking and transcript review were used to strengthen the credibility and trustworthiness. The 3 themes that emerged from methodological triangulation after completing the Yin's 5 steps of data analysis were market research, great customer service, and having passion. The findings of this study might serve as a guide for current and future SME restaurant owners to financially sustain business beyond 5 years. The findings of the study may contribute to social change as successful small- and medium-sized enterprise restaurant owners would help address unemployment issues by generating additional jobs and building wealth for themselves, their employees, communities, and the local economy.

Small auto repair business owners need strong operational skills; however, some lack expertise in managerial strategy. The purpose of this multiple case study was to identify managerial strategies small auto repair business owners use to sustain businesses in Columbus, Ohio with respect to strategy, time management, and alteration of value chain services. Based on the Vroom expectancy theory of motivation, small auto repair business owners may use effectiveness and efficiency of business performance with particular emphasis on managerial strategic development and execution to enhance financial results and rewards. Data collection involved face-to-face, semistructured interviews with 5 small auto repair business owners. Analysis of the interview transcripts involved coding data to identify key themes. Themes that emerged from the study included effective managerial strategies for small auto repair business owners, business plans, initial challenges and addressing subsequent changes, education and certification, customer satisfaction and business knowledge, and financial analysis and reporting. Recommendations for enhanced small auto repair business ownership focus included adequate access to resources to achieve operational competence and achieve managerial success. Findings from this study might engender positive social change by providing owners of small auto repair businesses ways to improve planning processes and make prudent investments to ensure long-term, viable, and sustainable businesses.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / Entrepreneurship has been regarded as a solution to various developmental challenges such as unemployment, inequality, and poverty, which are inherent among the marginalised populations. However, the high rate of failure of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) remain an impediment to the use of entrepreneurship as a means to ameliorate the challenges. This is especially the case among young entrepreneurs. In addition, given the imperativeness of financial literacy in the success of SMEs, this study determines the influences of financial literacy on entrepreneurial success within the marginalised communities. It also explores and identifies the reasons why failure rates are high among young entrepreneurs in the economically disadvantaged community of Khayelitsha, Cape Town. This study employs a concurrent mixed methods design, making use of both quantitative and qualitative data. A survey is conducted in Khayelitsha using the snowballing sampling technique due to difficulty in accessing young entrepreneurs. The quantitative data from the survey provides demographic and socioeconomic information on young entrepreneurs. The survey is also used to determine the level of financial literacy and business success of these entrepreneurs. The qualitative in-depth interviews, on the other hand, provide insights into the motivations of the entrepreneurs, their experiences and the causes of business failure.