Venture failure has been studied from the entrepreneur’s perspective through
previous qualitative research. However, very few studies have considered the
specific business environment in which entrepreneurs operate. This thesis
addresses entrepreneurial failure and focuses on the EU healthcare sector.
The paucity of academic research combining the lived experience of venture
failure and the healthcare industry context, highlights the importance of this
study.
An interpretative phenomenological approach is used to provide situated
insights, rich details and thick descriptions of participants’ experiences whilst
allowing appreciation of the business context and development of common
themes. Through in-depth interviews with seven entrepreneurs, this study
develops a deeper understanding of what it is like to experience venture failure
in the healthcare industry.
Findings show that entrepreneurs were not only deeply affected by emotional
hardship, but also suffered from detrimental social consequences as a result
of stigmatisation and no longer being part of the healthcare industry. Findings
suggest there is a relationship between entrepreneurial optimism, post-failure
effects and longer-term outcomes, with a central role for healthcare entrepreneurs’
intrinsic motivation.
This work adds empirical weight to the existing body of entrepreneurial failure
theory. The exclusive focus on the healthcare industry adds a new perspective
to academic theory and is also of value to entrepreneurship practice.
Entrepreneurs’ genuine desire to make a difference in healthcare, despite the
industry’s complexity and the challenges it entails, deserves more attention
from policy makers, investors and other stakeholders in the healthcare
ecosystem. Finally, the insights derived from the narratives of entrepreneurs
who experienced failure, might help other entrepreneurs in their endeavours.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BRADFORD/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/19248 |
| Date | January 2020 |
| Creators | Van der Linden, Edgar W.J. |
| Contributors | Spicer, David P., Zueva-Owens, Anna, Parkinson, Caroline |
| Publisher | University of Bradford, Faculty of Management, Law and Social Sciences. School of Management |
| Source Sets | Bradford Scholars |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, doctoral, DBA |
| Rights | <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/">Creative Commons Licence</a>. |
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