While research in entrepreneurship is clearly needed, the last thing we
need is another study (or, worse yet, another conceptual piece) that
"distinguishes the entrepreneur from those who are not categorized as being
entrepreneurs." Essentially, that's what Bob Brockhaus's research has done
for years (for a review, see his often cited article with Pamela Horwitz on
"The Psychology of the Entrepreneur"). When Bob was a speaker in our
doctoral research seminar on entrepreneurship last month, even he now says
it's a dead end and that we should look at other things.
Unfortunately, research on personality characteristics of the entrepreneur
has found the obvious -- for example, that the entrepreneur is "ambitious"
and "optimistic" (Miller, 1963), "energetic" and "socially adroit" (Sexton
& Bowman, 1984), has "less need for social support" (Hornaday & Aboud,
1971), is full of "self-confidence" ( Timmons, 1978), has a "sense of
urgency" (Welsh & White, 1983), is "goal-oriented" (Swayne & Tucker, 1973),
and has a high "tolerance for ambiguity" (Begley & Boyd, 1986). How
surprising is the finding that the person behind an entrepreneurial venture
is ambitious? Or self-confident? Or goal-directed? What should we tell
our students who lack self-confidence -- that they can't be entrepreneurs?
Not likely. I don't mean to be a naysayer, but I would hate for someone to
go to all the trouble to prepare a piece that attempt to place a boundary
on "the entrepreneur" only to find that editors won't publish it because
the work has already been done.
Alternatively, it would help greatly to know more about the cognitive
conditions that influence new venture success, as Venkat, the current
editor of the Journal of Business Venturing, recommends (see his 1997
article, "The Distinctive Domain of Entrepreneurship Research," in ADVANCES
IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP, FIRM EMERGENCE AND GROWTH, JAI Press). We clearly
need to know more about the choices people make that contribute to the
success and success rate of growing businesses, particularly fast growing
businesses. If you could do a piece that says something new about how
those choices contribute to the success and growth of the venture you would
have a piece worth publishing.
Larry E. Pate
University of Wisconsin-Madison
At 09:24 PM 5/3/98 -0400, you wrote:
>Name: George S. Cole, Ph.D.
>e-mail:
gscole@ark.ship.edu
>Title: Professor of Management
>Univ: Shippensburg University (AACSB//IAME accredited)
>Location: Shippensburg, PA, U.S.A.
>
>Working paper concept:
> The working paper focuses on the concept of "entrepreneurship", as
>it is formulated for educational purposes. The key concern is with the
>question of what is it that distinguishes the entrepreneur from those
>who are not categorized as being entrepreneurs. To some extent, the
>emphasis on entrepreneurs in business organizations tends to limit
>academic treatments of the concept.
>
>Note: Please do not hesitate to contact me for further details, as
>necessary.
>