Entrepreneurial Cognitive Capability: Concept, Integration Model and Research Prospects

Abstract

With the deepening of research on entrepreneurial cognition, the exploration of entrepreneurial cognitive capability has become a rising star that is, however, still in the initial stage. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is not only to review the existent research, but also to reveal the veil of entrepreneurial cognitive capability, so as to attract the attention of scholars. To begin with, this paper reviews researches on concepts, such as cognitive capability, entrepreneurial ability, and entrepreneurial cognition, which are relevant to entrepreneurial cognitive capability. And on the basis of the existing literature, researchers propose the definition of entrepreneurial cognitive capability. In the next place, we explore the theoretical foundations of entrepreneurial cognitive capability: resource-based view, capability theory, and social cognitive theory. These theories interact each other and do great contribution to understanding the connotation of entrepreneurial cognitive capability. Thirdly, this paper discusses in detail the influence factors of entrepreneurial cognitive capability at the individual level, the organizational level, and the environmental level. The mediation mechanism of the influence process is entrepreneurial learning. Besides, the study also finds that entrepreneurial cognitive capability makes a significant effect on entrepreneurial intention, entrepreneurial decision-making, entrepreneurial orientation, and enterprise performance. On this basis, we construct a theoretical framework of entrepreneurial cognitive capability research. Finally, further researches are put forward: to pour attention into the classification of entrepreneurial situations, to deepen the research on the constitution of entrepreneurial cognitive capability, to develop the localized scale, to promote empirical research, and to carry out cross-cultural comparative research. This paper not only promotes the development of entrepreneurial cognition research, but also lays the theoretical foundation for the study of entrepreneurial cognitive capability, the provides an important reference for domestic scholars to grasp the research context and the future research direction of entrepreneurial cognitive capability.