Entrepreneurial Alertness Research Articles

Role of Dynamic Capabilities in Moderating the Influence of Entrepreneurial Alertness and Entrepreneurial Intuition on Business Opportunity Recognition in the Café Industry

Role of Dynamic Capabilities in Moderating the Influence of Entrepreneurial Alertness and Entrepreneurial Intuition on Business Opportunity Recognition in the Café Industry

Interrelationship Between Entrepreneurial Alertness and Intention Among University Students: A Moderated Mediation Model

Purpose Based on the theory of planned behavior and social cognitive theory, this study investigates the relationship between entrepreneurial alertness (EA) and entrepreneurial intention (EI) through the mediating role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) and the moderating role of entrepreneurial climate (EC) in the “triple disruptions” of pandemic, Industry 4.0, and innovative technology. Design/Approach/Methods This study collected data from 717 Chinese university students and adopted a moderated mediation model to verify the proposed construct. All data were acquired online via Wenjuanxing software and analyzed with SPSS and SmartPLS. Findings Results show that (1) EA, ESE, and EC are significant predictors of EI; (2) ESE partially mediates the relationship between EA and EI; and (3) EC moderates the relationship between ESE and EI. Originality/Value The originality of this study lies in its use of an inner- and outer-moderator framework to examine student entrepreneurial intentions. The results of this study demonstrate that EA, ESE, and EC are crucial determinants of EI among Chinese university students. These findings of this study have empirical implications for governments, universities, and individuals insofar as they can be used to enhance students’ ability to recognize entrepreneurial opportunities, foster ESE, create ECs, and facilitate EI by offering multiple entrepreneurship-related resources.

The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Networking between Entrepreneurial Alertness and the Success of Entrepreneurial Firms

Entrepreneurial firms’ success is significantly influenced by their capacity to seize market opportunities. At the same time, little is known about when and how entrepreneurs’ alertness to the potential for business opportunities and how it influences their success. To fill this vacuum in the literature on entrepreneurship, the current study focused on identifying the impact that fluctuations in the degree of entrepreneurial networking cause on the relationship between three pertinent dimensions of entrepreneurial attentiveness and the success of entrepreneurial firms. Based on primary data collected from 384 entrepreneurial firms that are operating in Pakistan, using an adapted questionnaire, this study discovered that improvements in dimensions of entrepreneurial alertness have a beneficial impact on the success of entrepreneurial firms. Moreover, the moderating role of entrepreneurial networking has proved significant in the relationships. The effect size of the moderator is also significant and large. This study is also important for the sustainability of entrepreneurial firms because the more they are successful in their mission, the more they will be sustainable. Moreover, the moderating role of entrepreneurial networking that helps them in times of crisis also improves their sustainability. This study also revealed how entrepreneurial alertness works as a driver of entrepreneurial business success and how success is magnified in the presence of a higher degree of entrepreneurial networking. The theoretical, managerial, and policy ramifications of the study are explained at the end, along with limitations and recommendations for future researchers.

Similar but yet different: individual cognitive traits and family contingencies as antecedents of intrapreneurship and self-employment

Entrepreneurship is of great significance to individuals, families and society. Recently, intrapreneurship, i.e., business ventures within established organisations, has also attracted widespread interest among individuals and organisations. However, we still know little about how individuals make decisions when they face diverse types of entrepreneurial activities. Based on theories of entrepreneurial action and conservation of resources and the literature on family embeddedness, this paper proposes an integrated framework for entrepreneurial choice—including intrapreneurship, self-employment and non-entrepreneurship, and examines the roles of socio-cognitive traits and family contingency factors in the entrepreneurial choice process. By using secondary and survey data, the empirical results show that (a) entrepreneurial alertness (EA) and self-efficacy (ESE) both positively affect individuals’ choice towards intrapreneurship and self-employment, with a stronger effect on the latter; (b) the interaction between EA and ESE has a negative effect on intrapreneurship but a positive effect on self-employment; (c) family-to-work conflict weakens the aforementioned interactive effect on both intrapreneurship and self-employment, whereas work-to-family conflict strengthens its effect on self-employment; (d) household income strengthens the interactive effect on both intrapreneurship and self-employment. Overall, these findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of the relationship among individual cognitive traits, family contingencies and entrepreneurial choice. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Creativity and Proactive Personality as Triggers for Entrepreneurial Alertness in Improving the Business Performance of the Creative Industry in Indonesia

Measuring a company’s performance can help improve the positive aspects of its operations in addressing shortcomings. Innovative and change-oriented employees help the company’s performance improvement, increasing entrepreneurship awareness. Therefore, this study aims to determine how entrepreneurial awareness may be created by innovation and a proactive personality to enhance business performance. Players in Indonesia’s creative industries were given questionnaires, and SEM-PLS was used to process the data. The findings of this study demonstrate that entrepreneurial acuity, proactivity, and innovation significantly impact business performance. Entrepreneurial vigilance was also discovered to function as a mediator. The findings of this study have significant practical ramifications because, in addition to filling a research gap, they demonstrate that creative industry players must be more flexible and inventive to foster a creative work environment for their employees.

Alert during what? Beyond the “Big O” to a culturally-cognizant, process view of entrepreneurial alertness

AbstractEntrepreneurial alertness is a psychological aptitude generally associated with aspects of nascent venturing, centered on individuals’ environmental observations, the association of resources, and idea evaluation. A decade following the Tang et al. (2012) consensus construct and scale, critiques remain questioning its utility and unique value to the major conversations in entrepreneurship. Proponents put great emphasis on entrepreneurial alertness’s proven association with opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial actions. Yet, critics suggest it might be an unnecessary step offering little more than a positive association with opportunity recognition in a highly generalized and static way. The purpose of this paper is to address this tension. We do so through a ‘steel man’ approach to these valid concerns. Further, we question the logic of limiting a cognitive construct to a singular event: ‘opportunity recognition’ for a new venture (which we term here, the “Big O”). Drawing on a comprehensive framework inclusive of the full entrepreneurship phenomenon, and integrating insights from cross-cultural psychology, we put forth the case for an ongoing culturally contextualized process perspective towards venturing where individuals are alert to and pursue opportunities (and cope with threats) continuously. This paper provides a new framework for delineating a theoretically grounded “what” and “when” of entrepreneurial alertness.

Undergraduate Students' Intention to Start their Own Business in Nigeria: the Importance of Family-Support, Innovativeness and Alertness

Entrepreneurship is one of the effective solutions to address a range of social and economic issues. Therefore, the Nigerian government decided to integrate entrepreneurial subjects in tertiary institutions to promote entrepreneurship and strengthen students' entrepreneurial prowess and intentions. Entrepreneurial development requires an understanding of the factors that are intrinsic to the entrepreneurial process. The current study examines the relationship between university students' entrepreneurial intention, family-support and innovativeness alertness. Survey design was used and convenience sampling was employed in obtaining a sample of seven hundred (700) respondents across selected federal universities in southeast geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The results demonstrated a favorable correlation between students’ entrepreneurial intention and innovativeness, entrepreneurial alertness, and family-support. Furthermore, among undergraduate students, family-support mitigated the association between entrepreneurial awareness and entrepreneurial ambition, but it had no effect on innovativeness. Our research indicates that when trying to encourage college students to take entrepreneurial actions through policies or educational programs, educators and policymakers should take into account the influence of exogenous factors such as family-support. They should also reconsider the current models of entrepreneurial education that are widely used in our educational system in order to integrate inclusiveness of both exogenous and endogenous factors influencing entrepreneurship.

Time Perspective and Entrepreneurs’ Alertness

Entrepreneurship scholars have much to gain from including time perspective in developing theory about entrepreneurs’ alertness. In this study, interviews with 22 French entrepreneurs revealed associations between their alertness and past-positive, present-hedonistic, and future time perspectives. Complementarily, a sample of 376 U.S. entrepreneurs provided evidence that their present-hedonistic and future time perspectives impacted their alertness; we found mixed support for the relationship between past-positive time perspective and entrepreneurial alertness. A replication analysis with 764 U.K. entrepreneurs corroborated support for our hypotheses.

Factors influencing entrepreneurial intentions among Chilean secondary vocational students

PropósitoEl propósito de este estudio es determinar el efecto de un conjunto de factores (actitud hacia el emprendimiento, control conductual percibido o autoeficacia emprendedora, experiencia previa, locus de control interno y alerta emprendedora) sobre las intenciones emprendedoras de estudiantes secundarios técnico-profesionales chilenos.Diseño/metodología/aproximaciónUna encuesta online fue enviada a todos los estudiantes de nivel secundario de cuatro escuelas técnico-profesionales chilenas (3,052 estudiantes). Se recibieron un total de 1,644 cuestionarios válidos. Los datos obtenidos fueron analizados a través de una técnica de modelización de ecuaciones estructurales (PLS-SEM).ResultadosLos resultados muestran que la actitud y el control conductual percibido impactan positiva y significativamente sobre las intenciones emprendedoras de los estudiantes, no así la experiencia previa.Limitaciones/implicancias de la investigaciónDado que esta investigación se llevó a cabo en una realidad específica, se debe ser cauteloso a la hora de generalizar sus resultados. Asimismo, el modelo propuesto requiere un mayor desarrollo a través de la incorporación de otras variables. Se sugiere entonces replicar este estudio en otros países, así como incorporar nuevas variables y someter a prueba nuevas relaciones.Implicancias prácticasLos programas de educación emprendedora en el nivel secundario debiesen poner énfasis en cambiar/estimular las actitudes hacia el emprendimiento de los adolescentes, así como en mejorar su confianza en sus propias habilidades emprendedoras.Originalidad/valorEste es uno de los pocos estudios que aporta evidencia empírica acerca de los determinantes de las intenciones de emprender en adolescentes, particularmente en América Latina y con una muestra amplia.

Entrepreneurship education on international entrepreneurship intention: the role of entrepreneurship alertness, proactive personality, innovative behaviour and global mindset

PurposeThis study investigated the impact of entrepreneurship education on the international entrepreneurship intention of the university students while considering the mediating roles of entrepreneurship alertness, proactive personality, innovative behaviour and the moderating role of global mindset in this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe research employs a survey methodology, utilising a structured questionnaire for data collection. The study specifically concentrates on students enrolled at Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED) in Ghana, drawing its sample from six academic programmes within the university. Data analysis is conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsThe findings of this research revealed that entrepreneurship education exerts a positive influence on the international entrepreneurial intention. Furthermore, entrepreneurship alertness acts as a mediator in the relationship between entrepreneurship education and innovative behaviour. Similarly, a proactive personality serves as a mediating factor between entrepreneurship education and innovative behaviour. Moreover, innovative behaviour operates as a mediator in the relationship between entrepreneurship education and international entrepreneurship intention. Additionally, a global mindset plays a crucial moderating role in the connection between entrepreneurship education and international entrepreneurship intention.Originality/valueThis study makes a significant contribution to the field by shedding light on the mediating roles of proactive personality, entrepreneurial alertness, innovative behaviour and global mindset moderating the relationship between entrepreneurship education and international entrepreneurship intention. These insights offer fresh perspectives on the complex dynamics at play in the realm of entrepreneurship education and its impact on students' intentions for the international entrepreneurship.

Linking individual entrepreneurial orientation to entrepreneurial alertness

Linking individual entrepreneurial orientation to entrepreneurial alertness

Understanding the impact of human capital on radical and incremental innovation: the role of entrepreneurial passion and alertness

PurposeThe present study sought to comprehend the impact of human capital on radical and incremental innovation, with a focus on examining the mediating effects of entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial alertness.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a purposive sampling technique for collecting data from entrepreneurs in from different sectors of Pakistan. A sample of 382 entrepreneurs completed the survey. Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS. Reliability, discriminant, and convergent validity tests were conducted, and structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsIt was revealed that human capital has a significant impact on radical and incremental innovation. Furthermore, entrepreneurial passion and alertness significantly mediates the relationship between human capital and innovation.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the emerging research on innovation in entrepreneurship. There is limited research on types of innovation and entrepreneurial alertness in Pakistan; therefore, the study adds value to the scarce empirical research on innovation and entrepreneurial alertness and passion.

How does the prior experience of complementary entrepreneurs affect the perception of multisided platform affordance? Evidences from China

ABSTRACT Evidences from cognitive science and neuroscience suggest that affordance needs to be understood by combining epistemology. However, existing studies have not agreed on whether prior experience affects the perception of affordance, and the specific path remains a black box. Using samples from China, this paper investigates the influence mechanism of complementary entrepreneurs’ prior experience on the perception of multisided platform affordance. The results indicate that the prior experience promotes the perception of multisided platform affordance, and entrepreneurial alertness plays a partial mediating role. Platform leadership and role conflict negatively moderate the relationship between entrepreneurial alertness and multisided platform affordance.

Combining cognition and context: entrepreneurial alertness and the microfoundations of entrepreneurial ecosystems

AbstractEntrepreneurial alertness (EA) research has made substantial progress in identifying the psychological and organizational antecedents and consequences of EA. However, the interactions between environmental factors and EA are understudied and it is unclear how alertness influences and is shaped by entrepreneurs’ local ecosystems. In this “perspectives” essay, we contend that EA and entrepreneurial ecosystems research could be enriched by greater cross-fertilization. We respond to calls for more focus on the microfoundations of entrepreneurship by exploring the opportunities in research at the interface of EA and entrepreneurial ecosystems. We develop a multi-level framework to explain how EA is not only influenced by entrepreneurial ecosystems but can collectively influence the system-level functioning and leadership of ecosystems. Our framework clarifies how EA is shaped by the social, cultural, and material attributes of ecosystems and, in turn, how EA influences ecosystem attributes (diversity and coherence) and outcomes (resilience and coordination). We explain why it is critical to treat the environment as more than simply a moderating influence on the effects of EA and why it is fruitful for entrepreneurship research to develop a fuller picture of EA’s contextual determinants and outcomes. We conclude by proposing a research agenda that explores the interplay between EA and entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Unveiling the role of entrepreneurial teams in the equity crowdfunding journey

AbstractDespite the rapid spread of equity crowdfunding, the role and actions played by entrepreneurial teams in this context have been neglected; the few studies in this field adopted a static view and focused primarily on their signaling role in equity crowdfunding campaigns, compared to solo founders. This study adopts a dynamic view and extends current literature by exploring the underlying dynamics and the role of entrepreneurial teams in the entire equity crowdfunding journey. Our findings reveal that entrepreneurial teams play a crucial role in three phases of equity crowdfunding, namely, the pre-campaign, during the campaign, and post-campaign phases. In the first phase, entrepreneurial teams are crucial in enhancing entrepreneurial alertness, social media use, social capital, entrepreneurial openness, and reducing the perceived uncertainty. The analysis shows that entrepreneurial teams are determinant for the success of the equity crowdfunding campaigns for human capital signals, certifications, social media use, and increased social capital and communication activities. Finally, the results highlight that entrepreneurial teams have valuable importance in the post-campaign phases in terms of crowd involvement/management, social capital and knowledge/network exploitation, improved resource mobilization, and resilience/robustness. Notably, social capital has a dynamic effect on equity crowdfunding activities over time. The results of this research have several implications for theory and for practice. We also discuss the implications of our findings for adopting a team approach, for small businesses undertaking the equity crowdfunding journey, and for other actors including platform managers and prospective investors.

Entrepreneurial knowledge and digital entrepreneurial intention mediated by entrepreneurial alertness among Indonesian polytechnic students

Advances in digital technology and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in significant growth in digital entrepreneurship in Indonesia. Apart from contributing to a country's economic development, digital entrepreneurship also has the potential to overcome youth unemployment. However, student participation rates remain low, possibly due to a lack of entrepreneurial knowledge. Furthermore, differences in entrepreneurship education approaches offered by universities result in differences in entrepreneurial knowledge among students. This research aims to analyze the factors that influence digital entrepreneurship intentions among polytechnic students in Indonesia. The survey was conducted with a sample of 268 polytechnic students throughout Central Java, using purposive and proportional random sampling. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). This research finds the influence of entrepreneurial knowledge on digital entrepreneurial intentions and entrepreneurial alertness. Entrepreneurial alertness influences the relationship between entrepreneurial knowledge and digital entrepreneurial intention. These findings can inform strategies to foster digital entrepreneurship among Indonesian polytechnic students by focusing on increasing entrepreneurial knowledge and entrepreneurship alertness to accelerate the growth of digital entrepreneurship among the younger generation.

Identifying entrepreneurial opportunities during crises: a qualitative study of Italian firms

PurposeRecognizing novel entrepreneurial opportunities arising from a crisis is of paramount importance for firms. Hence, understanding the pivotal factors that facilitate firms in this endeavor holds significant value. This study delves into such factors within a representative empirical context impacted by a crisis, drawing insights from existing literature on opportunity recognition during such tumultuous periods.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a qualitative inspection of 14 Italian firms during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The authors collected a rich body of multi-source qualitative data, including 34 interviews (with senior managers and entrepreneurs) and secondary data (press releases, videos, web interviews, newspapers, reports and academic articles) in two phases (March–August 2020 and September–December 2020).FindingsThe results suggest the existence of a process model of opportunity recognition during crises based on five entrepreneurial influencing factors (entrepreneurial knowledge, entrepreneurial alertness, entrepreneurial proclivity, entrepreneurial personality and entrepreneurial purpose).Originality/valueVarious scholars have highlighted that, in times of crises, it is not easy and indeed very challenging for entrepreneurs to identify novel entrepreneurial opportunities. However, recent research has shown that crises can also positively impact entrepreneurs and their capacity to identify new entrepreneurial opportunities. Given these findings, not much research has analyzed the process by which entrepreneurs identify novel entrepreneurial opportunities during crises. This study shows that some entrepreneurial influencing factors are very important to identify new entrepreneurial opportunities during crises.

Entrepreneurship by Ph.D. students: intentions, human capital and university support structures

PurposeDoctoral students are promising entrepreneurial actors in university-based ventures, which positively impact the external environment and create value for their universities. In this article, the authors extend current research on academic entrepreneurship by shedding light on the role of university support in the early stage of Ph.D. entrepreneurship. Based on social information processing theory, the authors posit that academic entrepreneurship results from the interplay between doctoral students' human capital and university-level support. A multilevel model is proposed and empirically tested to shed light on the cradle of doctoral students' entrepreneurship by explaining the variance of their entrepreneurial alertness and intentions.Design/methodology/approachA model is proposed that explains the combined effect of specific human capital and different forms of university support on doctoral students' cognitive transition from entrepreneurial alertness to intentions. The model was then tested through structural equation modeling (SEM) and multigroup analysis (MGA) on a sample of 187 doctoral students enrolled in Italian universities.FindingsThe SEM results reveal that doctoral students' entrepreneurial alertness is influenced by perceived educational support and human capital. The MGA demonstrates that those who perceive a higher level of support for concept and business development from universities are more likely to convert their alertness into intentions than those who perceive lower support.Originality/valueThe present paper brings to the stage doctoral students as an extremely promising entrepreneurial target. In doing so, it extends academic entrepreneurship studies by detailing how and when the different forms of university support influence their entrepreneurial decisions, along with individual dimensions.

The effects of neurodiversity on cognitive attributes of entrepreneurs

PurposeThis study investigates how attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in entrepreneurs functions through coping schema to affect entrepreneurship-related cognitions. It is proposed that the resource-induced coping heuristic (RICH) bridges the conceptual gap between pathological cognitive executive control/reward attributes and cognitive resources, specifically entrepreneurial alertness, cognitive adaptability and entrepreneurial intent.Design/methodology/approachWith data from 581 entrepreneurs, this study utilizes partial least squares structural equation modeling for analysis. Additionally, a two-stage hierarchical component modeling approach was used to estimate latent variable scores for higher-order constructs.FindingsFindings indicate the RICH mediates the relationships ADHD has with alertness, cognitive adaptability and entrepreneurial intent.Originality/valueThe RICH is introduced as a mechanism to explain how ADHD indirectly influences entrepreneurial alertness, cognitive adaptability and entrepreneurial intent.

Building bridges to entrepreneurial resilience: Exploring the mediating role of business model innovation capacity in ambidextrous leadership and entrepreneurial mindfulness

In the dynamic landscape of contemporary business, achieving entrepreneurial resilience is an important goal for organizations facing unprecedented challenges. This study investigates the complex interactions between ambidextrous leadership, entrepreneurial mindfulness, and the mediating mechanisms of business model innovation capacity in fostering entrepreneurial resilience. This research uses a quantitative approach with the population of the startup community in Indonesia. A sample of 340 startup actors was selected randomly. Data was collected via a Likert Scale questionnaire with a scale range of 1-6. Hypothesis testing was carried out using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) Partial Least Squares (PLS) to overcome model complexity and small sample size. Findings support the relationship between entrepreneurial alertness, ambidextrous leadership, business model innovation capacity, and entrepreneurial resilience. The theoretical implications enrich the literature by introducing mediating variables and leading to the development of a more comprehensive theoretical model. The practical implications highlight the importance of leadership development and business innovation to improve adaptation and response to change. Policy implications emphasize the need for policy support to strengthen entrepreneurship and innovation in the national economy.