Getting Past the “Entrepreneurial Growth Ceiling”: A Longitudinal Study of IPO Firm Growth Through Solution Driven Strategies

In this paper we introduce a concept that we call the Entrepreneurial Growth Ceiling (EGC). We develop arguments that new venture IPOs hit the EGC prior to their IPO, and the ceiling is part of the impetus for going public. The EGC represents a set of problems, and we hypothesize that a firm’s ability to break through the ceiling quickly (within a year following the IPO) is critical for long-term performance. We argue that proceeds from the IPO will aid firms in breaking through the ceiling if the proceeds are strategically allocated. Results indicate firms that allocate proceeds to human resources and research and development (R&D) resources are more likely to break through the EGC quickly and enhance long-term stock performance

Entrepreneurship Education: A Global Consideration From Practice to Policy Around the World

As entrepreneurship continues to gain momentum and visibility as an engine of global economic development, it is critical to understand and optimize the role that entrepreneurship education plays. Based on a detailed review of the literature on the entrepreneurship education ecosystems and frameworks in the United States, China, Finland, and Qatar, this report identifies the current state of entrepreneurship education and training around the world, and establishes an inventory of best practices. The discussion of common themes across the four country cases, as well as examples of unique in-country qualities, provides recommendations and implications on which policy makers can act and experiment

The entrepreneurial growth ceiling: Using people and innovation to mitigate risk and break through the growth ceiling in initial public offerings

Purpose – In this paper the authors aim to introduce a concept that they call the “entrepreneurial growth ceiling” (EGC). They develop arguments that new venture IPOs hit the EGC prior to their IPO, and the ceiling is part of the impetus for going public. The paper argues that proceeds from the IPO will aid firms in breaking through the ceiling if the proceeds are strategically allocated. Design/methodology/approach – The study examines a cohort of firms that went public in the same year. The authors code data from the prospectuses of 366 organizations, including how proceeds were to be spent, and then add performance data post-IPO. Findings – The results from a longitudinal study of IPOs indicate that firms that allocate proceeds to human resources and innovation (research and development) are more likely to break through the EGC quickly and enhance long-term stock performance. Practical implications – Entrepreneurial firms will have higher success when investing money into their human resources (people) and in research and development (innovation). Given the current high rate of change in business, the authors expect these findings are even more relevant for not just IPOs but for all organizations going through change. Social implications – Organizations that support and fund entrepreneurship and new venture growth should consider expanding their training to include human resource management, in particular as it ties to innovation. Originality/value – The entrepreneurial growth ceiling is a new concept introduced in this paper. This research has important implications for IPOs and other high-growth organizatio

Service Learning in Social Entrepreneurship Education: Why Students Want to Become Social Entrepreneurs and How to Address Their Motives

Service learning has been identified as a suitable approach to teach social entrepreneurship. However, in order to design service learning in an appropriate way, it is necessary to better understand why students want to become a social entrepreneur as opposed to a traditional entrepreneur. Thus, this study aims at identifying distinct student motives for preferring social entrepreneurship. According to our research, reasons typically mentioned by students who prefer a social entrepreneurship career over a commercial entrepreneurship career belonged to the following categories: impact, personal motives, and considering social and economic aspects. From this understanding, we derive recommendations for the design of service learning in social entrepreneurship programs. We hope that these recommendations will contribute to a student-oriented design of service learning that incorporates students’ own motives

The Distinctive Skills of Social Entrepreneurs

Addressing the need to identify distinctive skills for social entrepreneurs, we conducted an exploratory, qualitative study based on interviews with social entrepreneurs. We identified seven skills, three out of which have not been previously mentioned by entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship scholars. These skills include an ability to induce behavioral change and educate target groups; co-creation with multiple stakeholders; and developing solutions that aim to address the root cause of a social problem. Based on these findings, we provide recommendations for further research, as well as how the identified skills can be taught in experiential learning format