Entrepreneurs Prof. Dr. Dr. Fabian J. Froese Chair of Human - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

▶
entrepreneurs
SMART_READER_LITE
LIVE PREVIEW

Entrepreneurs Prof. Dr. Dr. Fabian J. Froese Chair of Human - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Dec 09, 2022 114 likes •280 views

May 2016 Social Networks and Knowledge Acquisition of Entrepreneurs Prof. Dr. Dr. Fabian J. Froese Chair of Human Resources Management and Asian Business Georg-August-University Gttingen Platz der Gttinger Sieben 5 (Blauer Turm) 37073

slide-1
SLIDE 1

Social Networks and Knowledge Acquisition of Entrepreneurs

  • Prof. Dr. Dr. Fabian J. Froese

Chair of Human Resources Management and Asian Business Georg-August-University Göttingen Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5 (Blauer Turm) 37073 Göttingen, Germany www.hrm.uni-goettingen.de May 2016

slide-2
SLIDE 2

1 Introduction & Theoretical Background 2 Methodology & Current Sample 3 Tentative Findings & Discussion

Content

2

slide-3
SLIDE 3

1 Introduction & Theoretical Background 2 Methodology & Current Sample 3 Tentative Findings & Discussion

Content

3

slide-4
SLIDE 4

Entrepreneurship in Germany

  • 93% of companies operating in Germany

are SMEs employing 60% of the German workforce (Federal Statistical Office, 2014)

  • 2014: 585.700 new companies in

Germany (Federal Statistical Office, 2014)

  • Typical entrepreneur: male, 35-55 years
  • Typically: An increase of new businesses

in knowledge based industries, such as IT or engineering services (Volery, 2007; Nijkamp, 2009)

4

slide-5
SLIDE 5

Minority entrepreneurs in Germany

5 Challenges these minority entrepreneurs face:

  • Migration background: e.g., smaller networks, lack of knowledge about local market, victims of stereotypes and

discrimination, less financial support, higher risk of failure, …(e.g., Högberg et al. in press; KfW, 2014; Shinnar &Young, 2008;

Smallbone et al., 2005)

  • Females: less active in networking, lower social capital, missing role models; less support from networks, less

financial support; work-family challenge, … (e.g. Allen & Curington, 2014; Carter et al., 2007; Maes et al., 2014; Marlow und Patton, 2005;

Schmid und Parker, 2003)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Share of migrant entrepreneurs

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Share of female entrepreneurs

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 12 Monate 36 Monate

Dropout rate

Migration background 12 months 36 months

slide-6
SLIDE 6

Research project (minority) entrepreneurs

  • Knowledge/ competences needed during stage of establishment
  • Meaning of networks
  • Identity of (minority) entrepreneurs
  • Identity changes over time

Research area 1 Research area 2

6

slide-7
SLIDE 7

Literature review: Entrepreneurial networks

7

Importance of networks for entrepreneurs

Family and informal networks are sources of knowledge or capital for entrepreneurs

(Masurel, Nijkamp, Tastan & Vindigni, 2001; Basu, 2004; Puryear, Rogoff, Lee, Heck, Grossmann, Haynes & Onochie, 2008)

Entrepreneurial networks determine the corporate success in different phases of the start-up process of a firm

(Anderson, Dodd & Jack, 2010; Elfring & Husink 2003)

Networks influence the innovativeness of the newly found firm

(Zali, Schott, Kordnaeij & Najafian, 2012)

slide-8
SLIDE 8

Today`s focus: Social networks as sources of knowledge

Knowledge/ competences as competitive advantage (knowledge based view)

Social networks as a person´s social capital (network theory)

Acquisition and generation of knowledge/ competencies through networks?

8

Social networks & knowledge

slide-9
SLIDE 9

1 Introduction & Theoretical Background 2 Methodology & Current Sample 3 Tentative Findings & Discussion

Content

9

slide-10
SLIDE 10

Methodology – Exploratory pilot Study

10

  • 97 semi-structured interviews
  • 30-60 minutes

Data collection: Data analysis:

  • Transcription of interviews
  • Qualitative content analysis
slide-11
SLIDE 11

Foreing born or immigrant background Local (German) female

1 (IT, Online & Engineers) 7 (Services*) 16 (IT, Online & Engineers) 31 (Services)

male

7 (IT, Online & Engineers) 10 (Services) 14 (IT, Online & Engineers) 11 (Services)

Current sample

11

* Services include all different types of services, e.g. cosmetics, consultancy, sales, etc.

slide-12
SLIDE 12

1 Introduction & Theoretical Background 2 Methodology & Current Sample 3 Tentative Findings & Discussion

Content

12

slide-13
SLIDE 13

Tentative findings I: Types of knowledge/ competencies

13

Business

  • Industry-specific (most

inside their field)

  • Founding/ planning
  • Business functions

(organization, finance/ accounting, marketing/ sales/ HRM

Personal

  • Responsibility &

reliability

  • Taking initiative
  • Perseverance
  • Self-organization
  • Self-confidence
  • Flexibility & willingness

to learn

Social

  • Customer loyalty
  • Communication
  • Leadership
  • (Intercultural

competence)

Knowledge/ Competencies

slide-14
SLIDE 14

Tentative findings I: Knowledge acquisition through networks

14

  • Most important source (exp. for females); high trust
  • Personal support/ personal competencies (e.g. self-confidence;

perseverance)  family & friends

  • Business and social skills  experienced family & friends

Personal Professional

  • Industry knowledge  colleagues (prior experience)
  • Business functions  consultants, advisors, and institutions

(IHK; KfW; BA)

  • Planning  institutions (IHK; KfW; BA)
slide-15
SLIDE 15

Discussion

15

Implications

  • Knowledge is of crucial importance during stage of

establishing a firm

  • Most entrepreneurs found in their field of expertise

 prior knowledge is most important

  • Various sources of knowledge in the networks

 indication of a relation between type of network members and type of knowledge/ skills Limitations and future avenues

  • Qualitative approach  limited generalizability
  • Future quantitative testing of proposed relations
  • Long-term data in order to identify factors of success