Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research

This study provides novel quantitative evidence of the multi-level and partial autonomous relation between institutional logics and individuals which is the driving element in institutional logic theory. Specifically, it provides new knowledge on the cognitive micro-processes that bridge institutional logics and the individual. We combine a unique longitudinal dataset (2004-2012) on individuals with a research design that exploit the financial crisis as natural experiment. This helps to understand the complex mutual relationships between alertness and entrepreneurial behaviour on the individual level and radical changes to institutional market logics on the macro level. We find that radical changes in market logics caused by the financial crisis in 2008 both constrain and enable individuals to discover new opportunities depending on their cognitive scheme of alertness. Moreover, individuals who respond with entrepreneurial alertness to the uncertain and contractive crisis environment collectively shape a new and dominating market logic that is gradually adapted by mimetic followers.

In the UK, policymakers are increasingly encouraged to create industry networks as a means of supporting regional economic development. Yet research suggests that formal attempts to replicate successful industry networks have had little success. In order to understand some of the reasons why, this paper presents findings from a recent study into the formation of an industry networking group for the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector. We conducted 14 in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs and intermediaries actively engaged in the formation of this group. Our findings point to how differences in motivations and expectations from participant members create barriers to the formation of long-term social relations needed for the longevity of these kinds of groups. Indeed, the nature of policy driven, and funded, networking groups contributes to a short-term focus not only of those responsible for its formation, but also participating members. To overcome these issues it is important that policymakers and entrepreneurs work in partnership to ensure resources are targeted appropriately and in a way that is conducive to supporting an entrepreneurial environment for the development and realisation of opportunities over a period of time.

We provide the first empirical evidence on the determinants of the lending decision of venture debt firms, specialized institutions that provide loans to finance growth of high-tech startups. Building on existing field interviews and case studies, we design a choice experiment of the lending decision and conduct experiments with 55 senior venture lenders. We find support for the hypothesis that backing by venture capital firms substitutes for startups' cash flow. Furthermore, we illustrate the signaling effect of patents and their role as collateral to facilitate the lending decision.

In the UK, policymakers are increasingly encouraged to create industry networks as a means of supporting regional economic development. Yet research suggests that formal attempts to replicate successful industry networks have had little success. In order to understand some of the reasons why, this paper presents findings from a recent study into the formation of an industry networking group for the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector. We conducted 14 in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs and intermediaries actively engaged in the formation of this group. Our findings point to how differences in motivations and expectations from participant members create barriers to the formation of long-term social relations needed for the longevity of these kinds of groups. Indeed, the nature of policy driven, and funded, networking groups contributes to a short-term focus not only of those responsible for its formation, but also participating members. To overcome these issues it is important that policymakers and entrepreneurs work in partnership to ensure resources are targeted appropriately and in a way that is conducive to supporting an entrepreneurial environment for the development and realisation of opportunities over a period of time.

This study provides novel quantitative evidence of the multi-level and partial autonomous relation between institutional logics and individuals which is the driving element in institutional logic theory. Specifically, it provides new knowledge on the cognitive micro-processes that bridge institutional logics and the individual. We combine a unique longitudinal dataset (2004-2012) on individuals with a research design that exploit the financial crisis as natural experiment. This helps to understand the complex mutual relationships between alertness and entrepreneurial behaviour on the individual level and radical changes to institutional market logics on the macro level. We find that radical changes in market logics caused by the financial crisis in 2008 both constrain and enable individuals to discover new opportunities depending on their cognitive scheme of alertness. Moreover, individuals who respond with entrepreneurial alertness to the uncertain and contractive crisis environment collectively shape a new and dominating market logic that is gradually adapted by mimetic followers.

We provide the first empirical evidence on the determinants of the lending decision of venture debt firms, specialized institutions that provide loans to finance growth of high-tech startups. Building on existing field interviews and case studies, we design a choice experiment of the lending decision and conduct experiments with 55 senior venture lenders. We find support for the hypothesis that backing by venture capital firms substitutes for startups' cash flow. Furthermore, we illustrate the signaling effect of patents and their role as collateral to facilitate the lending decision.

The large body of literature dealing with inter-organizational collaboration has advanced three different perspectives to understand and explain partner selection decisions. According to the 'social capital' view in the literature, organizations rely on prospective partner information that they obtain by being embedded in a network structure. Two other perspectives are the network strategy perspective, where organizations rely on their map of the network structure, and non-network information based on specific partner characteristics (i.e. 'nodal attributes'). In this study, we simultaneously consider and compare these three different sources of information for partner selection decisions.

This seminar focuses on the discussion of the concepts of international entrepreneurship, "born global" companies and SME internationalisation research.

Previous research suggested that due to the uncertainties surrounding the venture creation process, planning activities my be more valuable for already operating firms than for emerging ventures (McGrath and MacMillan, 1995).

In this research seminar, I present my current PhD project which examines the nature of the interplay between rural context and entrepreneurial activity, and its effects on various aspects of regional development. It mainly focuses on the indirect social and socio-economic benefits that entrepreneurship generates in rural regions that go beyond economic growth and job creation.