Entrepreneurial Alertness, Innovation Modes, And Business Models in Small- And Medium-Sized Enterprises: An Exploratory Quantitative Study

Entrepreneurial alertness refers to the ability to process information and signals from the environment so that individuals can recognize business opportunities, whereas innovation modes depict the variation in firms’ approaches to innovation. Innovation modes have important implications in the way firms compete; however, little research has been done about the relationship among entrepreneurial alertness, innovation modes, and business model in firms. This study explores whether entrepreneurial alertness dimensions influence business models through their effect on firms’ innovation modes. Using survey data from analysis of 119 manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises in Mexico using structural equation modelling, this study shows that entrepreneurs’ entrepreneurial alertness dimensions have different impacts on innovation modes, which thus have different effects on the efficiency and novelty of business models

Existencia, descubrimiento y explotación de oportunidades tecnológicas

The central topic in the field of research on entrepreneurship is to identify and to select the right opportunities for the creation of new companies. The aim of this work is to improve the comprehension of the process of the discovery and exploitation of technological opportunities, through the creation of new ventures in the specific area of knowledge creation, like in the universities. In this regard, a methodological post-positivist proposal was followed. The result is a model that is supported in the evidence of the cases and shows the process of development of the technological opportunity.Oportunidades tecnológicas, empresas derivadas de la universidad, teoría fundada, estudio del caso

Towards a Theory for Strategic Posture in New Technology Based Firms

This paper elaborates a theory from the existing literature on subjects about entrepreneurship, strategy and innovation. Dubin’s methodology approach is used in order to develop a theory that helps better understand the strategic posture adopted by a New Technology Based Firm in its competitive environment. The theory proposes the competitive context conditions as precedents of the dominant logic and the technology strategy, which, in turn, influence in the competitive behavior adopted by the new firm. An Entrepreneurial Orientation by the new firm, combined with very particular dynamic capabilities, improve the firm’s performance. From the achieved performance, a feedback process to the strategic stance initiates. In addition to the theory, interaction laws, a set of propositions, as well as suggestions for future research projects are presented

The Entrepreneurial Orientation-Dominant Logic-Performance Relationship in New Ventures: an Exploratory Quantitative Study

Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) has received substantial conceptual and empirical attention, representing one ofthe few areas in entrepreneurship research in which a cumulative body of knowledge is developing. Nonetheless,an important message from past research is that simply examining the direct effect of EO on firm performanceprovides an incomplete picture, especially in the case of new ventures. This study examined the influence ofDominant Logic (DL) on the relationship between EO and firm performance. Results based on a sample of 149new manufacturing ventures indicated that DL mediates the EO-performance relationship, and risk taking,aggressiveness and innovativeness had the highest correlations with the internal and external conceptualizationof DL. The empirical evidence suggests that new ventures must foster DL implementing appropriate strategicprocesses in order to maximize the effect of EO on performance

STRATEGIC DECISION MAKING, ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION AND PERFORMANCE: AN ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE CYCLE APPROACH

EntrepreneurialOrientation (EO) and Strategic Decision Making (SDM) have been studied in awide variety of settings. However, there is not enough research available thatcombines both topics and studies the ways in which entrepreneurs make strategicdecisions in early stages of organizational life cycle. The purpose of thisresearch was therefore to examine the effects of the factors associated withthe decision maker influencing EO and performance for two categories of firms.The results were achieved by using empirical data from two independent samplesof firms in different stages of organizational life cycle: start-up stage (n=133) and growth stage (n=173). The results show that SDM andcontrol variables have different effects in the two samples; however, for bothsamples there is significant relation between EO and performance. The paperconcludes with a discussion about the results and suggestions for futureresearch

STRATEGIC DECISION-MAKING SPEED IN NEW TECHNOLOGY BASED FIRMS

New Technology Based Firms (NTBF) operate in high-velocity environments that make considerable demands about the speed of strategic choices. This study draws upon strategic decision-making and organization theories to propose that strategic decision making speed mediates the relation between personal, organizational and environmental factors and performance. Hypotheses were theoretically developed and tested with data from an empirical investigation of Mexican NTBF. Measures of personal characteristics, organization structure, business environment, strategic decision speed and performance were collected from 103 Technology Founder Managers at the end of 2012. The results confirmed that strategic decision making speed influences the performance of NTBF and mediates the relation of uncertainty, CEO model, dynamism and hostility with firm performance.New Technology Based Firms (NTBF) operate in high-velocity environments that make considerable demands about the speed of strategic choices. This study draws upon strategic decision-making and organization theories to propose that strategic decision making speed mediates the relation between personal, organizational and environmental factors and performance. Hypotheses were theoretically developed and tested with data from an empirical investigation of Mexican NTBF. Measures of personal characteristics, organization structure, business environment, strategic decision speed and performance were collected from 103 Technology Founder Managers at the end of 2012. The results confirmed that strategic decision making speed influences the performance of NTBF and mediates the relation of uncertainty, CEO model, dynamism and hostility with firm performance

Empresas de base Tecnológica Derivadas de La Universidad: El Vínculo Empresario - Oportunidad Tecnológica

ABSTRACTThe new companies that are born from academic institutions are important for the economy of a region. In addition to providing a dynamic atmosphere, these young firms take advantage of innovative research. They have a positive influence on emerging research and on the economic education in universities. However, despite these beneficial aspects, the information about this phenomenon is not clear enough. For this reason, the objective of this paper is to better inform the public of the technological opportunities afforded by the creation of new companies in local universities. This study followed a post-positivist methodological proposal, specifically the grounded theory and the case study. The result of this research is an explanatory model that shows the processes involved in forming new enterprises

Technology Strategy and New Technology Based Firms

A study of the competitive advantage in successful New Technology Based Firms found that their technology strategy played a key role for making these companies improve their competitive advantage. We appealed to the grounded theory as a qualitative strategy to build theory, and to the exploratory case-study methodology to effectively understand this phenomenon in specific contexts as the one represented by small entrepreneurial firms in comparison with large established firms. A suitable comprehension of the different contexts required of a view of technology strategy that is more dynamic than those typically available. We build an explanatory model which integrates and groups the propositions previously developed. We view the study as exploratory to a class of studies aimed at understanding the technology strategy process in new ventures.A study of the competitive advantage in successful New Technology Based Firms found that their technology strategy played a key role for making these companies improve their competitive advantage. We appealed to the grounded theory as a qualitative strategy to build theory, and to the exploratory case-study methodology to effectively understand this phenomenon in specific contexts as the one represented by small entrepreneurial firms in comparison with large established firms. A suitable comprehension of the different contexts required of a view of technology strategy that is more dynamic than those typically available. We build an explanatory model which integrates and groups the propositions previously developed. We view the study as exploratory to a class of studies aimed at understanding the technology strategy process in new ventures.A study of the competitive advantage in successful New Technology Based Firms found that their technology strategy played a key role for making these companies improve their competitive advantage. We appealed to the grounded theory as a qualitative strategy to build theory, and to the exploratory case-study methodology to effectively understand this phenomenon in specific contexts as the one represented by small entrepreneurial firms in comparison with large established firms. A suitable comprehension of the different contexts required of a view of technology strategy that is more dynamic than those typically available. We build an explanatory model which integrates and groups the propositions previously developed. We view the study as exploratory to a class of studies aimed at understanding the technology strategy process in new ventures