ASPIRING, NASCENT AND FLEDGING ENTREPRENEURS: A RESOURCE-BASED APPROACH TO THE BUSINESS START-UP PROCESS
Beate Rotefoss and Lars Kolvereid, Bodø Graduate School of Business
Principal Topic
The work of Katz (1990) and Learned (1992) have been combined and adapted here to create a model of the business start-up process consisting of three milestones: aspiring, preparing, and entering. Based on this model, research sub-questions are suggested to examine whether individuals reaching any of the three milestones in the business start-up process differ from those who do not. In order to address the research questions, characteristics both of the individuals (i.e., the entrepreneurs) and the region in which they lived are included as explanatory variables. A resource-based approach to the study of entrepreneurship has been adopted as the theoretical framework. The business start-up process is viewed as a resource acquisition process, and the explanatory variables as human and environmental resources. Hypotheses are developed to test the effect human and environmental resources have on the odds of reaching the different milestones in the business start-up process, i.e., becoming aspiring entrepreneurs, nascent entrepreneurs, and business founders.
Method
The study is based on interviews of a representative sample of 9,533 Norwegians aged 18 or older. From this group, 322 possible nascent entrepreneurs were identified, of whom 203 participated in this study. The interviews of 9,533 Norwegians also provided data measuring human resources and the aspiring milestone. In addition, regional data at the municipality level is included to measure the available pool of environmental resources.
Results and Implications
The single most important factor for predicting the outcome of the business start-up process is current entrepreneurial experience, followed by other variables measuring human resources. Environmental resources are also predictors of the outcome of the business start-up process, although to a lesser extent than the human resource variables. Of the twenty-seven hypotheses developed, twelve were supported.
In order to increase entrepreneurial activity in Norway, government policies and programmes should aim at increasing individual awareness of the possibilities of entrepreneurial careers, as well as providing individuals with entrepreneurial experience. Women represent the largest potential source of entrepreneurial intentions and effort.
CONTACT: Beate Rotefoss, Bodo Graduate School of Business, N-8049 Bodo, Norway; (T) +47 755 17200; (F) +47 755 17268; Beate.Rotefoss@hibo.no
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