Research on Innovation Behavior and Performance of New Generation Entrepreneur Based on Grounded Theory

Hongjun Guan,Shuang Guan,Aiwu Zhao,Zhen Zhang,Jinyuan Jia

doi:10.3390/su11102883

Abstract

In China, new generation entrepreneurs are gradually becoming the main force of intergenerational inheritance. New generation entrepreneurs have different educational background, growth experience and personality characteristics from the old generation entrepreneurs. They are endowed with the historical mission of an innovative generation. Therefore, it is of great significance to reveal the key factors influencing their innovative behavior and find out how to inspire their innovative behavior. Based on grounded theory and in-depth interviews, this study used NVivo 11 to deal with the recording materials. After a series of steps including open coding, spindle coding, selective coding and theoretical saturation test, it constructed a theoretical model of innovative behavior and innovative performance for new generation entrepreneurs. The purpose of this study was to improve the theory of entrepreneur innovation behavior and provide guidance for government to cultivate innovative spirit and innovative ability of new generation entrepreneurs. The research showed that: (1) New generation entrepreneurs’ personal traits and educational background affect their perceptions of innovation. (2) Risk awareness, understanding of innovation content and social capital would influence innovation behaviors. (3) Innovation behaviors further lead to changes in organization performance. Therefore, government should provide more opportunities for new generation entrepreneurs to widen their knowledge, social resources and innovation environment.

Highlights

With the changes of time, the older generation entrepreneurs gradually leave the stage, and the new generation entrepreneurs gradually rise to become the main force of enterprises [1]
According to a survey conducted by China Family Business Review on new generation entrepreneurs and organizations, and a white paper published in 2017 on the second Chinese new generation entrepreneurs’ organizations and the current situation of Chinese new generation entrepreneurs show that nearly 90% of the new generation entrepreneurs do not exclude possibility of taking over family businesses
Considering the characteristics of new generation entrepreneurs, Fan and Lu (2019) [10] put forward some suggestions to promote the healthy growth of private entrepreneurs from the perspectives of capacity-building mechanism, political participation mechanism and social participation mechanism

Summary

Introduction

With the changes of time, the older generation entrepreneurs gradually leave the stage, and the new generation entrepreneurs gradually rise to become the main force of enterprises [1]. Through the analysis of many existing studies, it is found that scholars mostly take the new generation entrepreneurs from Zhejiang and Jiangsu as the research objects to explore the growth and characteristics of the new generation entrepreneurs. Some scholars have studied the role of schools, enterprises and families in the formation of entrepreneurship among adolescents, and explored how to promote the formation of a new generation of entrepreneurship among adolescents [6,7]. Jiang and Cao (2016) [12] studied the value orientations and political guidance of the new generation entrepreneurs They found that the value orientations of the new generation entrepreneurs were mostly positive and healthy, but there were still problems in political cognition, political participation and their own development. With excellent service as the main line, efforts should be made to optimize the development environment [13]

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Conclusion