Thomas Wing Yan Man

ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCIES OF SME OWNER/MANAGERS IN THE HONG KONG SERVICES SECTOR: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS

Based on a theoretical framework linking entrepreneurial competencies and SME performance, we carried out an empirical study to investigate the entrepreneurial competencies of SME owner/managers in the Hong Kong services sector. Thirty-five clusters of behavioural competencies were identified under six competency areas, which are applied to three entrepreneurial tasks, together with seven supporting competencies which play supporting roles to these competency areas or focus personally on the entrepreneur rather than on the entrepreneurial tasks. Distinguishing supporting competencies from major competency areas allows us to be more focused on further investigation into the functions of different competencies. The results are also discussed with reference to the research context and the entrepreneurship in Hong Kong.

Exploring the Behavioural Patterns of Entrepreneurial Learning: A Competency Approach.

– The purpose of this study is to empirically explore the behavioural patterns involved in entrepreneurial learning through a conceptualization of entrepreneurial learning as a “competency”., – Semi‐structured interviews to 12 entrepreneurs were conducted with a focus on the critical incidents in which significant learning has occurred prior to and during the development of their businesses, based on a competency framework of entrepreneurial learning. The learning behaviours in which these entrepreneurs exhibited during the incidents were coded., – The findings suggested that there are six behavioural patterns of entrepreneurial learning, including: actively seeking learning opportunities; learning selectively and purposely; learning in depth; learning continuously; improving and reflecting upon experience; and successfully transferring prior experience into current practices., – Entrepreneurial learning is more than acquiring experience, skills and knowledge or possessing attributes related to learning. Rather, a competent entrepreneur needs to demonstrate a set of behavioural patterns of effective learning. Moreover, these behavioural patterns are identifiable for the purpose of measurement., – The education and training for the entrepreneur can be considered from a behavioural perspective, with an emphasis on behavioural modification of the entrepreneurs learning patterns rather than skill or knowledge acquisition only. Also, this should be grounded upon the provision of appropriate contexts that provide or simulate the experiences of which the entrepreneur will likely come across, so that the learning behaviours can be stimulated., – Studying entrepreneurial learning under a competency framework allows us to explore the behavioural patterns and other factors involved in effective entrepreneurial learning with a closer connection to entrepreneurial success.

Entrepreneurial Competencies and the Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises: An Investigation through a Framework of Competitiveness

Abstract As an attempt to investigate the relationships between entrepreneurial characteristics and firm performance,we operationalized a theoretical framework of the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) and empirically tested the four hypotheses derived from it. The framework links together entrepreneurial competencies and SME performance with two further constructs: competitive scope and organizational capabilities. The empirical study consisted of a stage of instrument development specific to the research context, as well as a stage of hypothesis testing. The results of hypothesis testing, involving a sample of 153 owner/managers of SMEs, provided evidence for the direct and indirect contributions of the entrepreneurs opportunity, relationship, innovative, human and strategic competencies in affecting the long-term performance of an SME via competitive scope and organizational capabilities. This initial success, with the validated survey instrument of entrepreneurial competencies, may serve as the ground for further research in this area.

The context of entrepreneurship in Hong Kong: An investigation through the patterns of entrepreneurial competencies in contrasting industrial environments

Purpose – The context of Hong Kong has nurtured numerous small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in which the owner/managers have exhibited rather consistent set of characteristics over decades despite shifts in the industrial structure. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how such characteristics can sustain in different industrial environments.Design/methodology/approach – By using the competency approach on a sample of 153 SME owner/managers in the wholesale trade and IT services industries, we conducted hypothesis testing on comparing first, the overall rankings of ten competency areas for SME owner/managers, and second, the ratings of individual competency areas between the two industries.Findings – While there are consistent patterns of competencies across these two contrasting industries in Hong Kong, the owner/managers in IT services industry have significantly higher ratings in innovative, strategic and learning competencies than those in the wholesale trade industry.Research limitatio...

Understanding Entrepreneurial Learning A Competency Approach

Unlike the experiential, cognitive–affective and networking perspectives in previous studies, entrepreneurial learning is considered as a ‘competency’ in this paper, comprising the dimensions of inputs, process, outcomes and context, so that the various facets involved can be investigated against a common background. This conceptualization suggests that under an integrated set of competency-related learning characteristics, learning behaviours are exhibited under appropriate contexts and lead to competency-based learning outcomes. It provides a number of possible directions for further research in entrepreneurial learning, and also implies that education and training for the entrepreneur should be considered from a learning perspective.

Organizational Capabilities and Performance of SMEs in Dynamic and Stable Environments

This study examines the correlation between the organizational capabilities and firm performance of SMEs in both dynamic and stable environments in Hong Kong. Organizational capabilities are measured in terms of innovative ability, quality-enhancing capability, cost-reduction capability and ‘organicity’. Organizational capabilities are hypothesized to correlate positively with firm performance and to be moderated by environmental dynamism. A sample of 71 SMEs was drawn from the chemical and computer industries, which represent stable and dynamic industrial environments respectively. The findings suggest that organizational capabilities can significantly explain the level of SME performance and the impacts of environmental dynamism on these relationships.

Psychological ownership in team-based entrepreneurship education activities

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore psychological ownership (PO) during team-based projects as part of entrepreneurship education. Design/methodology/approach – The critical incident technique using semi-structured interviews was adopted on a sample of 20 participants involved in team-based entrepreneurship education activities. From reported critical incidents interpretation of the participants’ perceived ownership behaviour centred on: “what” participants perceived they owned; “when” PO occurred; and “how” they perceived that ownership. Findings – Different forms of collective and individual levels PO exist as an important element in the context of team-based entrepreneurship education activities. The form of PO changes at junctures during different stages of team-based entrepreneurship education activity. Moreover, PO is heavily influenced by a range of individual and group-based factors, specifically the social interaction at the start of such projects and self-reflection towards the end...

HOME-GROWN AND ABROAD-BRED ENTREPRENEURS IN CHINA: A STUDY OF THE INFLUENCES OF EXTERNAL CONTEXT ON ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCIES

As an attempt to explore the influence of external context on entrepreneurial competencies, we conducted a comparative analysis using a sample of 16 home-grown and abroad-bred entrepreneurs in China. Through a content analysis of the critical incidents during their business development, we found that both groups demonstrated a similar set of entrepreneurial competencies, with strategic, relationship, conceptual, organizing and opportunity competencies being the most predominant types. However, the orders of relationship and organizing competencies between the two groups were different due to the different behavioural elements, attributes, skills and knowledge domains constituting them. We concluded that the context is a critical yet complex dimension of entrepreneurial competencies, as the early context from which the entrepreneurs grow up has significant impacts on the formation of some competencies, whereas the current context in which they operate their businesses will determine their uses and will shape the development of other competencies.

Human Capital of Returnee Entrepreneurs: A Case Study in China

Returnee entrepreneurs (REs), who left China for education or work experience, accumulate human capital (HC) from their host countries. Such HC may be of benefit when forming new firms on their return to their home country. Insight from an in-depth case study of a service company for legal professionals, formed by three REs in Shanghai, is observed. Data were collected through participant observation and in-depth interviews. Findings indicate a contingency effect of HC. REs’ specific human capital (SHC), leveraged from their ‘host country experiences’, increased their alertness to business opportunities (i.e., opportunity identification). Their general human capital (GHC), leveraged from their ‘home and host country experiences’, prompted the new firm formation (i.e., opportunity exploitation).