Measuring entrepreneurial passion: Conceptual foundations and scale validation

Along with other affective and emotional dimensions, passion is at the heart of entrepreneurship. Yet past research on entrepreneurial passion (EP) has been hindered by the lack of a sound measurement instrument. Through a series of empirical studies conducted with samples from relevant populations, we develop and validate an instrument to capture EP and its inherent dimensions. We show that the task-specific dimensions of EP (intense positive feelings toward the domains of inventing, founding and developing, and the centrality of these domains to entrepreneurs' self-identity) are conceptually and empirically distinct from one another, and from other emotions and cognitions known to play a role in entrepreneurship. Our theory and results indicate that proper measurement of entrepreneurial passion incorporates the interaction between entrepreneurs' feelings and identity centrality for each domain. We discuss the implications of our model, instrument and findings for future research on the affective components of innovation and entrepreneurship. We also develop specific guidelines for using our validated instrument in future research.     

国际化环境下中国企业家素质研究

日益国际化的环境对中国企业的经营管理提出了更高的要求,为了让企业在国际化环境中更好的生存,我们需要优秀的企业家素质。通过调查问卷,我们分析了我国企业家素质的特点和存在的问题,指出在当前国际化环境中应当如何改进、发展我国的企业家素质。     

Austrian Business Cycle Theory in Light of Rational Expectations: The Role of Heterogeneity, the Monetary Footprint, and Adverse Selection in Monetary Expansion

We contribute to the debate over the contemporary relevance of the Austrian Business Cycle theory (ABC) by making three theoretical developments. First, we claim that the heterogeneous nature of entrepreneurship is the best means to respond to a Rational Expectations (RE) critique. If entrepreneurs are different then the “cluster of errors” are not made by everyone, just those on the margin. And if the marginal entrepreneurs are systematically different from the population as a whole, we avoid the implication of widespread irrationality, even though credit expansion will affect real variables. Second, we argue that the size of the monetary footprint is a more telling signal than the market rate of interest, and will not necessarily be revealed by measured inflation. Therefore attention to the official interest rate or Consumer Price Index is misleading, and an inappropriate way to assess applicability. And third, the main harm from loose monetary policy is not that it encourages entrepreneurs to behave more recklessly with capital, but that it encourages precisely the people who can’t afford capital at the market rate to borrow, and makes them the marginal trader. This suggests that adverse selection is a more important issue than moral hazard. We acknowledge that empirical work is required to verify these claims, and suggest how this might be undertaken.

市场非均衡、知识与企业家过程

熊彼特和柯兹纳对企业家作用的不同看法直接导致了他们对企业家过程的不同理解。实际上他们所描绘的是两种不同类型的企业家,即创新型企业家和套利型企业家,这两种不同类型的企业家分别承担了创造性破坏和恢复均衡的职责。这两种企业家在经济增长中的作用是互相补充、互相依存的,两者共同构成了一个完整的、动态的企业家过程。在这个动态循环体系中,企业家知识是环流的介质。它的实质是企业家知识在市场中被创造、扩散、发现和吸收利用的过程。     

企业家能力对企业国际创业绩效的影响——以我国中小企业为样本分析

在对国内外国际创业行为和企业家能力研究成果回顾的基础上,采用回归分析方法研究企业家能力对中小企业国际创业绩效的影响。研究表明：中小企业家的管理能力和战略能力对企业国际创业绩效的影响最为显著,社会关系能力虽然也有显著影响但相关系数较小。企业家的政府关系能力影响不显著。     

创业型小企业组织变革影响因素分析

创业型小企业作为中国经济活动中一支重要的队伍,在促进就业、稳定社会和经济增长等许多方面都发挥着很大的作用。而我国的创业型小企业自产生以来,就因为其“先天不足”而出现了诸如“小、弱、散”等很多问题。市场竞争加剧致使它们需要不断挖掘各种可获取的资源作为竞争优势来源,并将之培育成不易被竞争对手模仿的核心能力。只有这样才能获得长远的生存和发展。换句话说,创业型小企业需要通过组织变革获取竞争优势。那么,哪些是影响创业型小企业组织变革的关键因素呢？本文从企业内外两个视角,即内部组织文化、外部竞争环境,构建一个对创业型小企业组织变革产生影响的因素分析框架。从构建的分析框架出发,以图指导创业型小企业的组织变革。     

To start or not to start: Outcome and ability expectations in the decision to start a new venture

This study seeks to better understand why some individuals decide to start new businesses and others do not, particularly in light of high base rates of failure. In addressing the question of “Why do some individuals choose to start new ventures?” a common perspective is that potential entrepreneurs with high levels of confidence in potential outcomes are likely to start new ventures. Alternatively, it also may be that firm creation decisions are based largely on individual expectations of one's ability. Hypotheses examining these perspectives are tested using a sample of 316 nascent entrepreneurs with the start-up decision tracked longitudinally. The results indicate that confidence in one's ability to perform tasks relevant to entrepreneurship is a robust predictor of start-up while outcome expectancies appear to play a marginal role. Theoretical and practical implications stemming from these results are discussed.     

国有企业“企业家”选拔方式的经济学思考

本文侧重于从企业家的知识结构这一独特的角度来说明：现行“行政委任制”所选拔出的国有企业的“企业家”的知识结构存在重大缺陷－－来自实践经验的企业家能力部分的缺失。而且,选出之后的激励结构也不利于他们向市场型企业家的转化和其知识结构的改善。由这种“企业家”统领国有企业的直接结果,必然造成国有经济部门的低效率、资产流失和管理上的“人治”。要改变这种局面,根本的出路在于改革现行任命制度,切断企业家与行政官员之间角色互换的通道,建立市场化的企业家选择制度。     

From founder to CEO: An entrepreneur's roadmap

Many entrepreneurs aspire to build an exceptional company, reap the rewards, and retain the CEO position at the end of the journey. Launching the startup is only the first step. The period of transition during which a startup grows up and becomes a scalable business is arguably the most critical time in the life of an emerging firm. I summarize the challenges of this period in a framework—the eight hurdles of transition—that outlines the essential steps in the evolution from a nascent startup into a disciplined organization capable of sustained and profitable growth. As the company engages the eight hurdles, the entrepreneur who aspires to retain the top position must embark on a parallel journey of personal and professional growth: the transition from founder to CEO. The skills, motivations, and behaviors that make a good entrepreneur are not the same as those required to lead a high growth organization. Using the literature and five scenarios from personal experience, I summarize the most commonly cited reasons for CEO replacement. Some are beyond the founder's control; most are not. I identify five shifts in perspectives and behaviors essential to retaining the CEO position and provide practical guidance for developing the founder's leadership capabilities.     

The counter-conventional mindsets of entrepreneurs

These days, it seems, nearly everyone aspires to be an entrepreneur. But many entrepreneurs think and act differently than the way in which most other businesspeople do and the way much of today’s business education encourages them to think and act. My in-depth examination of dozens of entrepreneurs I’ve come to know well over the past 2 decades tells me that their unconventional—or, dare I say, counter-conventional—mindsets and behaviors are marked by six common patterns: (1) ‘Yes, we can;’ (2) beg, borrow, or steal; (3) think narrow, not broad; (4) problem-first, not product-first logic; (5) ‘No’ is something waiting to be turned into ‘Yes’; and (6) ask for the cash and ride the float. Thankfully, we now know that entrepreneurs are made, not born. These six patterns of entrepreneurial thought and action are eminently learnable. If you want to someday be an entrepreneur, or if you want the people in your company to become more entrepreneurial, then developing—or encouraging and incentivizing your people to develop—such a mindset might constitute a suitable first step toward preparing you to follow a more entrepreneurial path or to foster a more entrepreneurial culture in your company.