William I. Norton

Search and discovery by repeatedly successful entrepreneurs

This article examines the use of a model of search by entrepreneurs; for decades they have been advised to remain alert but now, new approaches are more open to effectuation and creation. However, so far none provides guidance regarding how to improve search effectiveness. We report upon a phenomenological investigation of Fiet’s model of constrained, systematic search which offers a prescriptive alternative. In order to test the latter’s effectiveness, 10 participants who started 47 ventures were interviewed. The article presents evidence of its use by these repeatedly successful entrepreneurs, finds support for the model and discusses its limitations and contributions.

Leader Emergence: The Development of a Theoretical Framework

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework to explain how leaders emerge in teams that lack a hierarchical structure. This framework emphasizes the perceptual processes through which team members determine whether or not an individual fits with the task, the group, and the situational context. Design/methodology/approach – This paper builds on prior leadership research to develop a theoretical framework of emergent leadership, a testable model, and research propositions. Findings – The authors suggest that team members’ perceptions of leadership fit depend on the potential leaders domain competence, fluid intelligence, willingness to serve, credibility, and goal attainment. A conceptual framework is developed to suggest these attributes combine to create perceptions of leadership fit that must correspond to the degree of stress in the situational context, which varies according to task criticality and time compression. The framework suggests that an individual perceived by ...

Protocols for Teaching Students How to Search for, Discover, and Evaluate Innovations

The authors introduce and develop protocols to guide aspiring entrepreneurs’ behaviors in searching for and discovering innovative ideas that may have commercial potential. Systematic search has emerged as a theory-based, prescriptive framework to guide innovative behavior. Grounded in Fiet’s theory of search and discovery, this article provides teaching protocols that provide proven methods for guiding individuals to effectively search for and discover product and process innovations. In a series of six, structured, modular sessions, individuals are taught to search for and discover ideas with the potential to generate wealth in domains where they possess prior, domain-specific knowledge. Moreover, a framework is introduced that permits a viability assessment of all discoveries.