Diane M. Sullivan

Knowledge Acquisition, Network Reliance, and Early‐Stage Technology Venture Outcomes

Knowledge acquisition is central to entrepreneurship when explaining successful venturing. However, little is known about how knowledge acquisition during early venture development affects desirable venture outcomes. This study draws on the knowledge-based view and social network theory to develop and test a conceptual model of knowledge acquisition using a sample of early-stage technology entrepreneurs operating in university-affiliated incubators. We examine how an entrepreneurs acquisition of different types of knowledge and reliance on their network for knowledge relate to outcomes of product/service innovativeness and first-year venture sales. Results suggest that acquiring technology knowledge positively relates to the innovativeness of products/services developed by entrepreneurs. Moreover, entrepreneurs can enhance this positive relationship by relying more on networks for technology knowledge acquisition.

Gender and entrepreneurship: a review and process model

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on gender, and specifically, women and entrepreneurship as well as present a process model of gender and entrepreneurship to guide future research.Design/methodology/approach – Following research from Baron and Henry, the literature is organized into a process model of gender and entrepreneurship and a brief review of the research on each stage of the model is presented. Further, building on the process model, specific propositions associated with each stage that are motivated by expectancy theory are developed.Findings – Research on women and entrepreneurship has increased over the last two decades and there is much research yet to be done.Practical implications – Practical implications include that women may engage in networking activities focused on family and friends for obtaining financial resources.Social implications – Based on this review, evidence suggests societal attributions and socialization processes relative to the sexes may cr...

How Entrepreneurs Use Networks to Address Changing Resource Requirements During Early Venture Development

Access to resources is a key challenge facing entrepreneurs during early venture development. Entrepreneurs’ networks serve as a principal means of identifying and acquiring needed resources. However, different stages of venture development may address different resource dependencies, suggesting entrepreneurs’ networks may need to change to meet changing resource requirements. By employing network theory and resource–dependence theory, we investigate how entrepreneurs may use networks to address changing resource needs during early venture development. Results illustrate how structural characteristics of entrepreneurs’ networks at venture launch are associated with network structure and content in early venture development in ways that may promote access to newly needed resources.

How Entrepreneurs' Knowledge and Network Ties Relate to the Number of Employees in New SMEs

Knowledge is central to entrepreneurship when explaining successful venturing. However, little is known about how a founders knowledge and their network ties relate to the number of workers in early‐stage small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). This study draws on the knowledge‐based view and social network theory to examine 174 new SME founders. Findings suggest a positive relationship between the comprehensiveness of an entrepreneurs knowledge set and the number of workers. In addition, the number of network ties positively moderates the relationship between the entrepreneurs knowledge set and the number of employees. Network tie knowledge heterogeneity was not significantly related to the number of employees in new SMEs.

A Multi-level process view of new venture emergence

Entrepreneurship research has grown in both quality and quantity over the past decade, as many theoretical innovations and important empirical research findings have been introduced to the field. However, theoretical approaches to understanding entrepreneurship remain fragmented, and empirical findings are unstable across different contexts. This chapter describes features of a multi-level process view of new venture emergence that adds coherence to the entrepreneurship theory jungle and brings order to idiosyncratic empirical results, by explaining how ideas become organized into new ventures. The centerpiece of this effort is enactment theory, a general process approach specifically developed to explain organizing processes. Enactment theory – and Campbellian evolutionary theorizing more generally – has a long history of use within and across multiple levels of analysis. Consequently, the description here illustrates how organizing unfolds across multiple levels of analysis and multiple phases of development. After describing the theorizing assumptions and multi-level process view of new venture organizing, the chapter explores implications of applying this perspective by suggesting new research directions and interpretations of prior work. The aim is to advocate process theorizing as a more productive approach to understanding new venture emergence.

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN ENTREPRENEURIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE FRANCHISE CONTEXT

This study examines how entrepreneurial relationship variables such as trust, conflict, interpersonal justice (IJ) and satisfaction differ among a group of male and female franchisees. Results suggest differences exist between these two groups in relation to conflict, IJ and trust with their franchisor. These results are consistent with research on feminine gender roles and research that suggests female entrepreneurs are more relationship oriented throughout the entrepreneurial process. The results further make a case for the importance of empirically examining different entrepreneurial relationship variables in future research on gender and entrepreneurship, and illustrate the power of the franchising business model in breaking down potential barriers of gender discrimination for female entrepreneurs.

Promoting Regional Entrepreneurship through University, Government, and Industry Alliances: Initiatives from Florida's High Tech Corridor

Abstract Universities, industry and governments have shared interests that provide incentives for actively managed, mutually beneficial, economic development alliances. Benefits from these alliances include enriched entrepreneurship capital and support for knowledge-based startups and high-impact firms. Regions realizing these outcomes can expect enhanced economic outcomes like job creation, better wages, and higher innovation rates. Aside from prior research demonstrating how tech transfer processes promote innovation and high-tech business formation, little is known about other types of university alliance initiatives and how they contribute to economic development. We seek to describe several university alliances linking partners in academia, industry and government aimed at promoting entrepreneurship capital and high-impact firms. First, we describe research that provides justification for university alliances as a means of promoting regional economic development. We then describe five university alliance initiatives, and provide examples of how each has enriched the region encompassed within the Florida High Tech Corridor.

ARE ENTREPRENEURS’ NETWORKS DYNAMIC? A REPLICATION STUDY TESTING CHANGES IN ENTREPRENEURS’ NETWORKS DURING NEW VENTURE DEVELOPMENT

Entrepreneurs’ networks are important for resource acquisition during early venturing. Interestingly, resource needs rapidly change during early venture development, which may necessitate a change in entrepreneurs’ networks. This study examines how the size of an early-stage entrepreneur’s network affects the subsequent structural (e.g., size) and content (e.g., knowledge diversity) character of their network. Additionally, how the strength of an early-stage entrepreneur’s network ties affects the subsequent structural (e.g., size and tie strength) and content (e.g., knowledge diversity) character of their network is explored. Data from the PSED-I were used to analyze the relationships. Results suggest the relationship between network size at time one and network size at time two is positive. Results further suggest a negative relationship between the number of weak ties at time one and the number of strong ties at time two. In addition, a positive relationship was found between network size at time one and network knowledge diversity at time two. Overall, this study contributes by providing a replication of results from recent work examining dynamics of entrepreneurs’ networks and it extends research on the topic by testing proposals utilizing panel data and through integrating novel theoretical perspectives.

Recursive links affecting the dynamics of new venture emergence

Cogliser and Stambaugh (this volume) and Jaussi (this volume) provided valuable thoughts regarding the multi-level process view of new-venture emergence that we developed elsewhere in this volume. The current response to their suggestions focuses on two underlying themes that emerged from their commentaries. The first theme explores the existence of recursive links between the micro and macro levels of analysis during the new-venture emergence process. The second theme highlights the importance of understanding the underlying processes that may recursively affect venture organization at each level of analysis. Finally, this response reiterates our belief in the fruitful pursuit of studying new-venture emergence as an evolutionary process involving multiple levels of analysis.