This dissertation research will bring together two streams of research. One stream examines the effect of regional-level community social capital (CSC) on entrepreneurial social networks. The other examines the effect of the individual-level social capital derived from entrepreneurial social networks on the success of their new firms. The present study unites these streams by examining the effect of regional-level community social capital on individual-level entrepreneurial social networks and the founding of the new firm. The first essay will examine CSC at the geographic regional-level as a positive predictor of individual-level tie strength heterogeneity within an entrepreneur's network. This positive effect is posited to be moderated by individual-level characteristics of the entrepreneur. The second essay will, using the level of CSC as a control, examine if tie strength and tie strength heterogeneity within the entrepreneur's network predicts organization founding mediated by firm-founding activity. This effect is predicted to be moderated by the resource accessibility within the individual entrepreneur's network. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2018. / July 6, 2018. / Nascent Entrepreneurship, Organizational Emergence, Social Capital, Social Networks / Includes bibliographical references. / Bruce T. Lamont, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; R. Michael Holmes, Jr., Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Charles F. Hofacker, University Representative; David Maslach, Committee Member.

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences. / Department of Communication

Globalization has increased the number of individuals who identify with more than one culture. Studies in cultural psychology suggest that the manner in which bicultural individuals manage their dual cultural identities has important implications for them and for their host societies. While existing studies have examined the psychological and sociocultural consequences of biculturalism, only little attention has been paid to understanding its economic consequences. Importantly, the effect that managing dual cultural identities has on bicultural individual's entrepreneurial intentions has remained unexplored. Given the fact that entrepreneurship is vital to the economic success of nations and biculturals are said to play an important role as founders of several new business ventures, it has become critical to analyze the impact that biculturalism has on bicultural individual's propensity to start new business ventures. This dissertation aspires to fill this gap in research. In this dissertation, I used the identity integrationist perspective to argue that amongst biculturals, those with high identity integration will display greater entrepreneurial intentions than those with less identity integration. Further, I argued that cognitions, specifically cognitive cultural intelligence, cultural metacognition and cognitive flexibility, will mediate the effect of bicultural identity integration on entrepreneurial intentions. Empirical analysis supported the argument that biculturals with high identity integration display greater entrepreneurial intentions. Further, cognitive cultural intelligence and cultural metacognition were found to mediate the effect of identity integration on entrepreneurial intentions. I also assessed the role that attitude towards risk taking and attitude towards autonomy play in explaining biculturals' entrepreneurial intentions. I argued that biculturals with more positive attitude towards risk taking and more positive attitude towards autonomy will display greater entrepreneurial intentions. Empirical analysis supported this viewpoint. Further, based on entrepreneurial cognition stream of research, I argued that cognitions, specifically cognitive cultural intelligence, cultural metacognition and cognitive flexibility will positively influence biculturals attitude towards risk taking and attitude towards autonomy. Empirical analysis found support for the positive effect of cognitive flexibility on biculturals' attitudes towards risk taking and autonomy. Taken together, results of this dissertation offer a finer grained understanding of the factors and the mechanism that influence bicultural individual's entrepreneurial intentions. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

<p> The purpose of this explorative case study was to understand how the skill building, academic, and life learning experiences align and demonstrate an entrepreneurial mindset and individual entrepreneurial orientation. The study used a purposive sample of six self-selected students at Southwest Suburban Community College, part of a large community college district, in a major metropolitan area in the southwest United States. An action research approach provided an iterative process for the researcher to reflect and review the research process to ensure the participants&rsquo; stories demonstrated their lived experiences. </p><p> The study used two conceptual frameworks, Effectuation Theory and Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation, to provide different lenses of entrepreneurial orientation and mindset to frame the findings. The study&rsquo;s research question explored how skill building, academic, and life learning experiences of a purposive sample of self-selected community college students align with and demonstrate an entrepreneurial mindset and individual entrepreneurial orientation. </p><p> Two assertions emerged from the qualitative data analysis. The assertion of Willing Vulnerability and Purposeful Intentionality demonstrated the participants&rsquo; stories aligned with propositions inherent to the entrepreneurial mindset and individual entrepreneurial orientation found in the scholarship. Moreover, the assertions and the researcher&rsquo;s own meaning making during the action research process suggest several actions can be taken. These actions include curriculum development, faculty pedagogy, and institutional polices and can be employed by the researcher, colleagues, and leaders when developing and facilitating an entrepreneurial culture where students lived experiences are integrated and validated as emerging entrepreneurial mindset and orientation.</p><p>

The present dissertation is composed of two main parts. The first step lies in a conceptualisation research effort, which aims at re-constructing success and providing a new understanding of success as a subjective, individual-based concept encompassing three dimensions : professional, familial and personal success. Success is defined as : an ideal state of global satisfaction that may relate to family, personal or work fulfilment feelings, according to individual preferences. The second part is an empirical study which is designed to illustrate this conceptual framework and contribute to extend our knowledge on small firms owner-managers' visions of success. An evaluation method, based on the Index for Global Success (IGS), is elaborated for that purpose. Three analyses are developed : the first one describes the respondents' global characteristics and visions of success, the second study explores males' and females' visions of success, and the last one applies the IGS method to compare high- and low success perceivers, test the link between IGS, business performance and individual satisfaction, and thus test the IGS method relevance. The findings prove that success needs to be studied at the individual's level as a subjective construct and that the use of a composite index to evaluate success enables the gathering of overlapping dimensions composing success. The importance of personal and familial dimensions, beyond professional success, receives empirical support. Females appear to have different visions of success than males, placing higher concern on the personal dimension. Finally, the Index for Global Success enables the testing of subsamples which differ in their levels of satisfaction and firm's performance. Statistical analyses establish that `success' (evaluated through the Index for Global Success), business performance and individual satisfaction are positively correlated. It is concluded that the IGS method is a relevant tool to evaluate success, and that success is a complex rather than simple unidimensional construct.

創業被廣泛認可為世界各地的經濟增長和社會發展的引擎，創業研究已被定義為核心的研究領域且具有獨特的定義問題，理論界定和合法性。本研究由三篇文章組成，我試圖从創業的不同階段为理論研究和實踐提供深入了解創業的知識和理论。在此過程中，我将結合戰略管理，創業研究和跨文化研究的理論。總結的論文的總體框架如圖1所示。 / 第一個研究首先提出的一個基本問題，是誰會成為企業家，並從文化價值的角度解釋。鑑於創業的不確定性和損失的可能性，不確定性規避文化價值可能影響個人的創業機會識別和探索。因此，本研究側重於探索不確定性規避文化價值對創業機會識別的直接和間接影響。受先前研究企業家精神和不確定性規避文化的啟發，我的理論解釋了不確定性規避文化會影響個人對創業行為的不確定性的接受程度，以及整個社會對創業行為的認可。不確定性規避文化價值也能作為調節變量影響個人的創業能力和對失敗的恐懼對機會識別的影響。 / 第二個研究側重於新生創業者的工作經驗和當前尋求企業合法化活動對初創期企業績效的影響。遵循以往的研究，我選取了人力資本中最重要的經驗的深度和經驗的廣度，並預測經驗的深度和企業績效的倒U型的關係，以及經驗的廣度和企業績效之間正相關關係。此外，我側重於新生創業者的企業合法化活動，創業組織活動和獲得外界幫助，並預測他們對經驗和企業績效之間關係的增強作用。在實證研究中，我分析了321中國新生創業者的創業活動及過程，發現數據支持預測的經驗對企業績效的作用。此外，創業者從事創業組織活動和獲得外界幫助，使得經驗的廣度對績效的作用的曲線在最佳水平前後變得更陡，這表明加強的互動作用。 / 第三個研究，基於製度基礎論，研究區域制度發展對新興市場企業創新戰略作用。這裡的區域指的是低於國家的行政區劃，作為企業作為最直接的環境，提供製度上的正当性和環境資源，為企業創新所必需的條件。通過過去很少有研究關注的企業家的主动地资源获取戰略。而企業家的政治资本和社会资本能幫助企業從地區環境中獲得更多的合法性和資源。在實證研究中，通過對中國民營企業的調查數據分析，證實了區域制度對企業創新的促進作用，並發現企業家樹立的政治资本和社会资本能幫助企業在創新過程中改變的區域制度的約束[附圖]。 / Entrepreneurship is widely recognized as the engine of economic growth and social development throughout the world, and entrepreneurship research has been defined and legitimated as a core research field with unique defining questions and theoretical boundaries. In this dissertation that consists of three essays, I strive to provide insights on the knowledge of entrepreneurship at various stages of the start-up process. By doing so, I combined and extend the theories in strategy, entrepreneurship, and cross-culture studies. The overall framework of the dissertation is summarized in Figure 1. / Essay 1 of this thesis starts by asking the question of who will be entrepreneurs and relate this question to the influence of culture. Given the uncertainty and possibility of loss of entrepreneurship, the cultural uncertainty avoidance might exert influence on individual's entrepreneurial opportunity identification and exploration. Therefore, Essay 1 focuses on the direct and indirect effects of cultural uncertainty avoidance on entrepreneurial opportunity identification and exploitation. Inspired by previous research on entrepreneurship and cross-culture studies, I theorize that the cultural uncertainty avoidance will influence individual's attitude towards uncertainty and the social acceptance of entrepreneurial behavior. Also cultural uncertainty avoidance might moderate the relationship between individual's entrepreneurial capability and fear of failure, and their opportunity identification. / Essay 2 focuses on the role of nascent entrepreneur's previous working experience and current legitimation activities on new venture's early stage performance. Following previous research, I divide human capital into experience depth and experience breadth, and predict a inverted-U shaped relationship between experience depth and performance, and a positive relationship between experience breadth and performance. In addition, I focused on two kinds of legitimation actions of nascent entrepreneur, organizing activities and getting external help, and predicted their enhancing role on the relationship between experience and performance. Empirically, I analyzed data of 321 Chinese nascent entrepreneur in their founding process and found support to the predicted role of experience on performance. Moreover, as entrepreneurs are engaging in more organizing activities and receiving more external help, the slops of experience depth to performance will be more abrupt both before and after the optimal level, indicating an enhancing interaction. / Essay 3 relies on institution-based view to examine the role of subnational market-supporting institution on the innovative strategy of emerging market firms. Subnational institution, as the most direct environment of private firms, provide institutional legitimacy and environmental resource, which are necessary for firm innovation. Rarely studied is entrepreneur's active resource-seeking strategy to gain more legitimacy and resource from subnational region. Using survey data on Chinese private firms, I confirmed the facilitation of subnational institution on firm innovation, and found that political capital and business capital can alter the constraints imposed by institution [with diagram]. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Ding, Zhujun. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.iv / [摘要] --- p.vii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.x / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.xii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.xiv / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.xv / Chapter Chapter 1 --- A GENERAL REVIEW OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP RESEARCH --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- STUDY ONE --- p.21 / TITLE: Cultural Uncertainty Avoidance and Entrepreneurial Opportunity --- p.21 / ABSTRACT --- p.21 / INTRODUCTION --- p.22 / LITERATURE REVIEW AND HYPOTHESES --- p.24 / Culture and Entrepreneurship --- p.24 / Cultural Uncertainty Avoidance and Entrepreneurship --- p.28 / Entrepreneurial opportunity --- p.32 / Entrepreneurial opportunity discovery --- p.33 / Entrepreneurial opportunity exploitation --- p.37 / METHODOLOGY --- p.41 / Data and Measurements --- p.41 / RESULTS --- p.43 / DISCUSSION --- p.47 / REFERENCE --- p.52 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- STUDY TWO --- p.67 / TITLE: Entrepreneur's Working Experience and Legitimacy Seeking for New Venture --- p.67 / ABSTRACT --- p.67 / INTRODUCTION --- p.68 / LITERATURE REVIEW AND HYPOTHESES --- p.71 / Working experience on new venture performance --- p.75 / Working Experience Depth --- p.77 / Working Experience Breadth --- p.79 / Moderators on the relation between experience depth and performance --- p.81 / Moderators on the relation between experience breadth and performance --- p.84 / METHODOLOGY --- p.86 / Data and Sample --- p.86 / Variables and Measurements --- p.89 / RESULTS --- p.91 / DISCUSSION --- p.94 / CONTRIBUTION AND IMPLICATION --- p.97 / REFERENCE --- p.100 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- STUDY THREE --- p.116 / TITLE: Subnational Institution and Firm Capital: a Multilevel Model of Innovation Under Emerging Economies --- p.116 / ABSTRACT --- p.116 / INTRODUCTIONN --- p.117 / LITERATURE REVIEW AND HYPOTHESES --- p.122 / Subnational institution and firm innovation --- p.127 / Political capital --- p.129 / Social capital --- p.132 / Interactions --- p.134 / METHODOLOGY --- p.137 / The empirical design --- p.137 / Data --- p.139 / Measurement --- p.140 / Analytic method --- p.143 / RESULTS --- p.145 / DISCUSSION --- p.149 / CONTRIBUTION AND IMPLICATION --- p.151 / REFERENCE --- p.154 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- CONCLUSION --- p.174

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<p> A majority of current leadership programs are failing to deliver a comprehensive approach to leadership development by not providing middle and frontline managers the skills to enhance their potential to develop others. In failing to generate a comprehensive system, animosity towards all types of leadership has been festering for over 40 years as first identified by Greenleaf in 1977. The purpose of the study was to establish a link between the theoretical paradigms of servant leadership and self-leadership using the lens of emotional intelligence to generate an integral leadership development framework. The conceptual framework used Goleman et al.&rsquo;s version of emotional intelligence, Spears&rsquo;s model of servant leadership, and Manz&rsquo;s concepts of self-leadership. The research question examined the interrelationship between the three theoretical paradigms and used the analysis to create a theoretical framework. A paradigm and systematic word search phrase yielded an initial sample of 1356 research articles. Using text scrutinization to achieve saturation, I used 342 articles to evaluate the gap between the three theoretical paradigms. The analysis of the secondary data used Edwards&rsquo;s approach to metatheory-building. The results yielded the beginnings of a new theory of self-perpetuating leadership style called sustainable leadership. Also noted based on the literature a serious absence of ethics, morality, or spirituality in leadership development. This study is important because it uses a holistic framework based on development techniques found in three theoretical leadership paradigms to help aspiring leaders to develop others. The positive social change that may result is an improvement in leadership skills, over time, through a comprehensive approach to leadership development for aspiring leaders.</p><p>

<p> As global frontiers of innovation, countries leading the way in entrepreneurship are responsible for forging a new understanding of the role of business in society, one that considers the impact of cultural values on driving and maintaining dynamic forms of economic growth. This thesis will examine the role cultural factors play in creating a flourishing entrepreneurial environment and how they define the relationship between business and society while influencing expectations of social responsibility. It also explores whether certain social environments are more conducive to entrepreneurship, and as such what role entrepreneurs play in those societies to encourage economic development and innovation. Utilizing data obtained from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and the research of Geert Hofstede, traits associated with traditional entrepreneurship theory will be aligned with corresponding cultural dimensions. Traits associated with social responsibility will then be connected to their corresponding dimensions to determine their impact on new business activity, and to demonstrate that these countries may be more predisposed to practice stakeholder management. The case study will also include an examination of Hungary and what the research findings mean for countries with cultural dimensions reflecting traditional entrepreneurship theory rather than stakeholder theory, and provide recommendations as to how each cultural dimension can be adapted to improve stakeholder engagement with actors in both government and society. The thesis will demonstrate that today&rsquo;s entrepreneurs are driven as much by the desire for affiliation as they are by the need for achievement, and undertaking an effective stakeholder strategy is the best way to fulfill that affiliation, thereby improving the entrepreneurial environment, encouraging innovation, and creating a strategy for entrepreneurs to be socially responsible. </p><p>

<p> Microbusinesses are a specific type of small business that employ 9 or fewer people, including the owner. Microbusinesses are a major factor in the national, regional, and local economies. Microbusiness operators face the issues of limited time, money, and marketing expertise when conducting daily operations. The purpose of the qualitative descriptive case study was to describe the amount of time and money that microbusiness owners perceived to spend on marketing. Time and money along with the perception of marketing expertise were then related to the microbusiness sales performance. In this study, the respondents perceived that they did not spend enough time on marketing because of daily challenges of running the business, but the amount of time spent on marketing did not appear to be associated with sales performance. Microbusiness operators perceived that they spent an adequate amount of money on marketing to achieve their sales performance goals. In this study there appeared to be no association between the money spent on marketing and sales performance. The microbusiness operators perceived their marketing expertise to be adequate and higher levels of marketing expertise did appear to have a positive association with sales performance. Improving the marketing budgeting process, improving measurement of return-on-investment on the marketing spend, improving digital marketing skills, and utilizing time-efficient marketing tools were key themes to increase marketing effectiveness. The microbusiness marketing tools of personal selling, digital marketing, relationship marketing, word of mouth, networking, and branding were found to provide opportunities to improve sales performance by leveraging limited time, money, and marketing expertise. The results of this study provide direction for microbusiness operators on profitable time, money, and marketing expertise strategies to improve microbusiness sales performance.</p><p>