Exploring knowledge and learning in new technology-based firms in an early-stage entrepreneurial ecosystem

This thesis investigates knowledge and learning in new technology-based firms (NTBFs) in an early-stage entrepreneurial ecosystem. Previous work on entrepreneurial learning suggests that experiential learning, vicarious learning and exploration are the learning types that entrepreneurs use to manage knowledge, and that this leads to the creation of entrepreneurial knowledge. While the majority of previous research involves entrepreneurial learning that is based on absorptive capacity (ACAP) to generate competitive advantage, this study examines how new venture teams (NVTs) manage new and prior knowledge when developing and commercialising software. The knowledge-based view (KBV) regards knowledge as the most important resource to allocate. This research adopts this approach in exploring how NVTs acquire, assimilate and use new knowledge. Based on a framework encompassing networks, prior knowledge and knowledge management the study explores, examines and analyses: i. Entrepreneurial networks; ii. Early-stage entrepreneurial ecosystems; iii. NVTs’ prior knowledge; and iv. Knowledge integration activities. The research adopts a qualitative approach and methodology comprising two stages. The first one captures the perceptions of multiple agents involved in the entrepreneurial networks in Colombia, from government, academia and support institutions (private and public). In the second stage eight NVTs from Medellín were asked to describe the resources and source of resources used when developing and commercialising the first innovative product while creating and establishing the NTBF; their answers were validated in a second interview using a mind map to illustrate key events and key sources of new knowledge. Analysis of the data reveals that even in early-stage entrepreneurial ecosystems, NVTs acquire knowledge from external sources, such as mentors, intermediaries and customers. This finding echoes the importance of ACAP in NTBF creation and survival. Moreover, NVTs acquire knowledge from internal sources of knowledge, such as new members, experience and formal education. In general, regardless of how related, specific and complementary the prior knowledge of the NVT is, all cases use external and internal knowledge integration activities. This study provides new insights into the nature of knowledge integration and has clarified distinctions between two key substantive capabilities in NTBFs: developing a technology and commercialising a new product. As regard to the KBV, the thesis also shows how entrepreneurial and innovative networks helped with the acquisition of new knowledge in an early-stage entrepreneurial ecosystem. This new knowledge can be market-related but also technical-related, and can also be acquired by outsourcing when the NVT’s knowledge base is not specialised in the technology that the firm offers. NVTs manage prior and new knowledge when developing and commercialising new technologies while they create and establish the NTBF, for by doing so they also focus on sales to maintain cash flow. The study suggests that members of NVTs work together, make decisions together and are both reflective and selective when choosing their sources of new knowledge in NTBFs. This study has important implications for policymakers and practitioners. While current policies and entrepreneurs recognise networks as the most important source of knowledge, findings of this research suggests that internal sources of knowledge are equally important, therefore NVTs must also develop internal knowledge integration abilities

Entrepreneurial Experience and Science Parks and Business Performance in Beijing, China

China is the second largest economic entity in the world. It is well acknowledged that small businesses have made significant contributions to Chinese economic development in terms of employment generation, income generation and poverty reduction. Entrepreneurs are the key people who are driving small businesses forward, and the Chinese Government has invested substantially in science parks. However, our understanding of entrepreneurship activities, science parks and especially prior business experience and business performance in China remains under researched. Therefore, to fill this gap, this research explores entrepreneurs’ business performance of those who were on science parks against those whose businesses were off-park in Beijing China. Human capital theory experience and the RBV provide the theoretical framework which were used to test the entrepreneur’s prior business ownership experience against the performance of the businesses in terms of innovation, exporting activity, employment growth, profitability and the usage of e-commerce. This research adopted a quantitative methodology to analyse a new data set gathered by the researcher. In the year of 2009, 462 valid questionnaires were received from the firms located on and off ZhongGuanCun Science Park (ZSP), and that represented a 12% response rate. The results show that prior business ownership experiences and science park location have strong associations with business performances. In particular, firstly habitual entrepreneurs are more likely than novice entrepreneurs to be innovators, and in general to have a better business performance; secondly, business located on science parks generally performed better than off-park businesses and lastly, interestingly, there is no clear evidence showing that habitual entrepreneurs have better usage of e-commerce than novice entrepreneurs. According to these key research findings, implications are elucidated for Chinese practitioners and policy makers

Learning to innovate collaboratively with technology: exploring strategic workplace skill webs in a telecom services firm in Tehran

This thesis explores innovation and learning within the context of an entrepreneurial new technology based firm (NTBF), operating in the creative sector of telecommunications valueadded services located in Tehran, Iran, along with a partner in London, UK. Whilst backgrounding the socioeconomic and geopolitical characteristics of the operating environment, and historical antecedents of independence and self-sufficiency, plus chronic sanctions within the economy, the argument focuses on the interplay between intermediated learning via strategic ‘skill webs’ leading to innovation. Drawing on innovation and workplace learning corpus, collaborative innovation with technologies is organised as a competitive action in an unstable and unpredictable market: learning and skill enhancement in firms provides the stabilisers to remain and compete in the market. It is the juxtaposition of learning and innovation in service-innovation/-delivery design, while utilising pervasive and emerging telecoms technologies that provides the empirical base for this research. Conceptually, an emergent type of distributed learning, entitled as ‘DEAL’ (Design, Execute, Adjust and Learn) model, by enabling knowledge brokerage facilitated by ‘skill webs’, is identified and explored. This then acts as an analytical tool to examine the empirical elements which are in the form of longitudinal organisational ethnography on site visit waves, spanning 2004 to 2013, focusing on project learning breakthroughs and cul-de-sacs as observed by learning episodes, often utilising informal networks and skill webs in technical and non-technical tasks. The case study findings within a conceptual model has implications for learning and education policy, and upskilling in firms located where regional clustering is not apparent. Furthermore, extrapolating on the theoretical and empirical inquiry and exploring policy vistas, emphasising the hybridised and socio-cultural nature of the innovation processes in transitional economies, the thesis highlights the paramount nature of NTBFs’ inquiry-based learning capabilities, and distributed interprofessional judgement formation evolving in an incremental and contextdependent manner, duly shaping the sustainability of learning to innovate

Technology Entrepreneurship : A Treatise on Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship for and in Technology Ventures. Band 2

The treatise is the first coherent and comprehensive presentation of the important sub-field of "technology entrepreneurship" emphasizing the science and engineering perspectives. It is a presentation of technology entrepreneurship as an inter-cultural approach referring to the US and Germany. It integrates micro- and macro aspects referring to numerous cases of firms\u27 foundations. The book provides also a new semi-quantitative approach to growth of new technology ventures

The role of resources in the internationalisation of high technology SMEs in Portugal

Drawing on the Resource-Based View of the Firm (RBV) the study suggests a set of mainly knowledge-based resources, specific to high technology SMEs, at firm and individual levels, explaining why in the same industry, some firms consistently outperform others in international markets. A conceptual framework drawing on the RBV and on Transaction Costs Economics (TCE) was developed and operationalised. Empirical research proceeded in two phases. Phase one involved 12 exploratory interviews, respectively with 8 chief executives of high technology SMEs and with 4 experts and academics in the area of enquiry. The role of these exploratory interviews was to qualitatively identify and examine valuable resources to high technology SMEs emphasised or not in the extant literature and that have been included in phase two, which was concerned with a mail survey where 106 firms filled and returned the questionnaire. The data collected provided the basis upon by using multivariate statistical techniques three sets of hypotheses, were developed, tested and discussed: (i) to examine the impact that resources have on firm international performance; (ii) to examine the influence that resources have on the entry mode in the main foreign market: independent vs. contractual arrangement; (iii) to examine the relationship between the use of a contractual arrangement in the main foreign market entry mode and performance in that same market, while considering resources as moderator influences in that relationship. The study main findings suggest the great importance for high technology SME superior international performance of the human capital of the entrepreneur/chief executive as well as the need of building a stronger technology-base through a greater emphasis on R&D activities, by hiring high skilled personnel and capitalising on continuous innovations based on technologies that are new to the market