Existing research in the field of mentorship as a mechanism for entrepreneurial learning suggests a requirement for more studies. Previous empirical research in the field has predominantly focussed on the workplace context and not the entrepreneur. The current research available in the field of entrepreneurial mentorship and its contribution to the business success of entrepreneurs is even more limited in the South African context. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the perceived contribution that mentorship makes as a vehicle for learning and development for South African entrepreneurs. In this mixed methods triangulation parallel design study, the qualitative component encompassed semi-structured interviews, presenting the narrative of twelve South African franchise principals who were entrepreneurs. The quantitative component consisted of an online survey which received responses from 35 business consultants. The surveys were created to capture perceptions of mentorship and what aspects were considered as important variables in the mentor-mentee match. Key findings of this research were that mentorship was perceived to contribute to entrepreneurs' personal and business success. The sample highlighted that the nature of the contribution of mentorship was related to business management support and/or psychosocial support. The study found that the entrepreneurs perceived the mentor's experience and performance track as vital to the success of the mentor-mentee match and that it was critical that there was respect, trust and honesty in the relationship. This study contributes to the growing field of research in mentorship specifically in the context of entrepreneurial learning. This is critical in South Africa where there is an absolute need for an improved state of entrepreneurship and therefore efforts must be made to create the support to improve this current situation. The research also offers insight into variables that should be considered when matching a mentor and mentee to increase the likelihood of success of the mentorship. The results of this research could potentially be used in the construction of a mentorship network for entrepreneurs with a mentor-mentee matching system that takes these insights into account. Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Learning, Mentorship and Entrepreneurial Mentorship

<p>A sustainable development of entrepreneurship will not be possible in such a complex andchallenging environment as today’s society, without the attainment of effective learning andbusiness support capabilities (Williams, 1998). One such support is obtained through havingexperienced entrepreneurs mentor less experienced entrepreneurs, transferring knowledge(Clutterbuck, 2004) and facilitating learning (Sullivan, 2000). As Leonard Bisk (2002)and Sullivan (2000) among other researchers (Deakins et al. 1997) stress, there is a need tolook beyond the start-up process of a firm and the use of mentorship in this early phase,and focus more on how entrepreneurs who have been in business for a while can benefitfrom a mentor program, an area referred to as “the nature of timing and support” (Sullivan,2000, p. 163).</p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to explore how an experienced entrepreneur, a mentor, canhelp a less experienced entrepreneur, an adept, achieve entrepreneurial development duringand throughout different phases of the entrepreneurial life cycle, in the most efficient manner.</p><p>An entrepreneurial life cycle can be divided into several phases, which can be used in orderto examine the entrepreneur’s development process within different time periods of runninga firm. Start-up support generally involves providing entrepreneurs with the crucial“tools” for survival, such as basic financial support, bookkeeping and marketing (Sullivan,2000). Mature entrepreneurs generally request psychological benefits, such as reassuranceand improved confidence as they wonder whether or not their experiences are normal andhow they should be interpreted (Megginson et al. 2006). There are two types of directivementoring styles, coaching and counseling, and two types of non directive mentoring,counseling and networking.</p><p>The main objective with our research in this thesis was to explore how entrepreneurs’ developmentthroughout and during different phases was affected by active participation in amentor program. To gather information we used a qualitative method, in which we interviewedten entrepreneurs who were currently active in a mentor program, or had been activewithin the last 12 months. The empirical findings were later analyzed in the light of theframe of references and the authors own viewpoint, by conducting a within case/cross casecomparisons.</p><p>The results indicate that a mentor can best help an entrepreneur achieve entrepreneurialdevelopment by providing non directive support, enabling the entrepreneur to draw his orher own conclusions and stimulate self reliance. This support is best delivered after thestart-up and conception phase, the first phase of the life-cycle.</p>

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 &amp; 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.

A sustainable development of entrepreneurship will not be possible in such a complex andchallenging environment as today’s society, without the attainment of effective learning andbusiness support capabilities (Williams, 1998). One such support is obtained through havingexperienced entrepreneurs mentor less experienced entrepreneurs, transferring knowledge(Clutterbuck, 2004) and facilitating learning (Sullivan, 2000). As Leonard Bisk (2002)and Sullivan (2000) among other researchers (Deakins et al. 1997) stress, there is a need tolook beyond the start-up process of a firm and the use of mentorship in this early phase,and focus more on how entrepreneurs who have been in business for a while can benefitfrom a mentor program, an area referred to as “the nature of timing and support” (Sullivan,2000, p. 163). The purpose of this thesis is to explore how an experienced entrepreneur, a mentor, canhelp a less experienced entrepreneur, an adept, achieve entrepreneurial development duringand throughout different phases of the entrepreneurial life cycle, in the most efficient manner. An entrepreneurial life cycle can be divided into several phases, which can be used in orderto examine the entrepreneur’s development process within different time periods of runninga firm. Start-up support generally involves providing entrepreneurs with the crucial“tools” for survival, such as basic financial support, bookkeeping and marketing (Sullivan,2000). Mature entrepreneurs generally request psychological benefits, such as reassuranceand improved confidence as they wonder whether or not their experiences are normal andhow they should be interpreted (Megginson et al. 2006). There are two types of directivementoring styles, coaching and counseling, and two types of non directive mentoring,counseling and networking. The main objective with our research in this thesis was to explore how entrepreneurs’ developmentthroughout and during different phases was affected by active participation in amentor program. To gather information we used a qualitative method, in which we interviewedten entrepreneurs who were currently active in a mentor program, or had been activewithin the last 12 months. The empirical findings were later analyzed in the light of theframe of references and the authors own viewpoint, by conducting a within case/cross casecomparisons. The results indicate that a mentor can best help an entrepreneur achieve entrepreneurialdevelopment by providing non directive support, enabling the entrepreneur to draw his orher own conclusions and stimulate self reliance. This support is best delivered after thestart-up and conception phase, the first phase of the life-cycle.

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Magister Commercii - MCom / How entrepreneurs learn to cope and survive in the South African clothing sector, with its high levels of macro-environment turbulence, may engender particular lessons for entrepreneurial learning and related outcomes such as business innovation. Although SME support measures worldwide offer mentorship to assist firm survival and growth, little is known about how entrepreneurs learn under the guidance of a mentor. Formal mentorship is employed with increased frequency as a training intervention suited to entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurial learning is linked to experiential learning in the personal development of the entrepreneur and development of the business venture. Formal mentorship as a medium to enhance entrepreneurial learning is the focus of this study. Past research does not adequately address entrepreneurial learning in the context of prolonged turbulent competitive environments, and the role of formal mentorship as a significant contributor to entrepreneurial learning. This qualitative case study is set within the clothing industry of the Western Cape, which is affected by high levels of competitive turbulence. Entrepreneurs and their mentor's accounts are collected through unstructured and semi-structured personal interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. The mentors are contracted to an organisation that provides business development support to SMEs within the clothing sector. Key participants within this organisation, and their sponsor, are interviewed to study strategic influences on formal mentorship. This constitutes the case and a purposive-snowball sampling strategy was employed. The research shows how strategic sponsorship agreements influence the functions and roles that mentors adopt within a top-down approach to mentoring. While formal mentorship provides a valuable intervention as a training mechanism in the SME sector, a propensity for technically driven mentoring outcomes is specific to the clothing industry case. While entrepreneurial learning is associated with formal mentorship, it does not necessarily influence business innovation. / Davies, C. (2017). Formal mentorship and entrepreneurial learning: The case of a support programme in the Western Cape clothing sector. Masters' thesis. University of the Western Cape

Magister Commercii - MCom / How entrepreneurs learn to cope and survive in the South African clothing sector, with its high levels of macro-environment turbulence, may engender particular lessons for entrepreneurial learning and related outcomes such as business innovation. Although SME support measures worldwide offer mentorship to assist firm survival and growth, little is known about how entrepreneurs learn under the guidance of a mentor. Formal mentorship is employed with increased frequency as a training intervention suited to entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurial learning is linked to experiential learning in the personal development of the entrepreneur and development of the business venture. Formal mentorship as a medium to enhance entrepreneurial learning is the focus of this study. Past research does not adequately address entrepreneurial learning in the context of prolonged turbulent competitive environments, and the role of formal mentorship as a significant contributor to entrepreneurial learning. This qualitative case study is set within the clothing industry of the Western Cape, which is affected by high levels of competitive turbulence. Entrepreneurs and their mentor’s accounts are collected through unstructured and semi-structured personal interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. The mentors are contracted to an organisation that provides business development support to SMEs within the clothing sector. Key participants within this organisation, and their sponsor, are interviewed to study strategic influences on formal mentorship. This constitutes the case and a purposive-snowball sampling strategy was employed. The research shows how strategic sponsorship agreements influence the functions and roles that mentors adopt within a top-down approach to mentoring. While formal mentorship provides a valuable intervention as a training mechanism in the SME sector, a propensity for technically driven mentoring outcomes is specific to the clothing industry case. While entrepreneurial learning is associated with formal mentorship, it does not necessarily influence business innovation.

The aim for this study is to investigate how entrepreneurial learning can be put in relationto working with technology in preschool. I want to investigate this through two researchquestions. Firstly, the purpose is to clarify what the entrepreneurial learning can mean forthe work in preschool, but also to investigate how a working method with focus ontechnology in preschool can contribute to entrepreneurial learning. The motivation behindthis study was mainly based on Ehrlin, Insulander and Sandbergs (2015a) study wherethey found technology and science as one way of working with the entrepreneuriallearning.The survey, with a qualitative approach, was conducted with the help from a focus groupwith pedagogues working at a preschool with technology and science as a profile. Thegroup met at two occasions and also carried out a task with the children between themeetings. The empirical data is presented based on three categories:- The teaching that children and pedagogues are involved in describes how thepedagogues discusses the organization of the preschool to create opportunities forteaching.- The communication on which the teaching is based on describes the pedagogue’sthoughts about the content of the teaching.- The teaching as a moral action describes the pedagogue’s discussion about theirapproach.These categories are based on the didactic perspective and Säfströms (2000) descriptionof how teaching can be interpreted through this perspective. The result showed that thepedagogues found the description of the entrepreneurial learning as a way of putting theaim of their work into words, mainly considering the preschools profile. However, itshowed in the survey that they experienced difficulties in working with technology inpreschool. The pedagogues raised that this new way of working takes time to implementsince the children isn’t used to solving problems with many possible solutions. In thediscussion it was clear that the pedagogues linked the entrepreneurial abilities to theirown role in the preschool instead of the children’s abilities. Finally, the pedagogues inthis study saw great opportunities with the entrepreneurial learning at their preschool, butalso possibilities to work with the entrepreneurial learning in other subjects.

<p>After rigorous criticism on trait approach and with the emergence of behavioral approach in entrepreneurship during 1980s, the researchers started to introduce learning and cognitive theories in entrepreneurship to describe and explain the dynamic nature of entrepreneurship. Many researchers have described venture creation as a core and the single most important element of entrepreneurship. This thesis will discuss and present the role of entrepreneurial learning and heuristics in venture creation. Hence, the purpose of this research thesis is to study and analyze the role of entrepreneurial learning and heuristics in venture creation.</p><p>To fulfill the purpose of this thesis, we followed qualitative research and conducted semi structured interviews with open ended questionnaires to collect empirical data. For this study, we have included only four interviews which were conducted on four different businesses based in Jönköping, Sweden, following convenience sampling. In the analysis, we used data analysis model of Walker, Cooke and McAllister (2008) and inductively generated three propositions, depicting the role and importance of entrepreneurial learning and heuristics in venture creation.</p><p>Individuals adopt entrepreneurship in their careers with necessary skills, abilities, and knowledge, which are learned or gained through experiential learning and/or vicarious learning (i.e., learning by observing or modeling the actions of others). Learning by doing is considered the most important factor by entrepreneurs which helped them to overcome different business start up hurdles, to make various entrepreneurial decisions and to perform many entrepreneurial activities during venture creation. Similarly, individuals within their own situation use, learning by observing or modeling other people’s behaviour, actions and consequences of the actions. Entrepreneurs use learning by modeling the behaviour and actions of others as benchmarking strategy during venture creation. Entrepreneurs believe that without any learning they will not be able to start their own businesses. Heuristics as decisions making mechanism, particularly during venture creation, is used by entrepreneurs as simplifying strategy when sufficient information related to a specific market, certain industry and products are scarce. Additionally, entrepreneurs are passionate to grab profitable business opportunity, and due to time pressure and brief window of opportunity, they can’t go for gathering each and every information of the potential business or product. Hence, heuristics as decisions making mechanism is considered the best suitable approach to make many entrepreneurial decisions during venture creation.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>

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.