French Entrepreneurs Research Articles

Validation and psychometric evaluation of the French version of the recovery experience questionnaire: internal consistency and validity assessment.

Entrepreneurs often experience high levels of stress, anxiety, and burnout due to the demanding nature of their professional activities. Therefore, recovery from work-related stress is a relevant activity for entrepreneurs. The Recovery Experience Questionnaire (REQ) is a widely used 16-item self-reported measure covering four recovery factors: psychological detachment from work, relaxation, mastery, and control. The present study addresses the validation of a French version of the REQ. A total of 1,043 French entrepreneurs from various sectors participated in this study. Internal consistency and correlations were examined to assess the psychometric properties of the French version of the REQ. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to validate the four-factor structure of the REQ, with seven error covariances added to improve model fit. The French version of the REQ demonstrated good internal consistency (psychological detachment: α = 0.88, relaxation: α = 0.91, mastery: α = 0.90, control: α = 0.91). CFA supported that the four-factor structure was confirmed based on the following data: RMSEA = 0.071 (95% CI [0.066, 0.077]), CFI/TLI = 0.955/0.950, SRMR = 0.050, and χ2 (108) = 593.861, p < 0.001. Significant correlations were found between REQ scores and health indicators such as stress, loneliness, physical health, mental health, and sleep quality. The results confirm that the REQ is a valid and reliable measure for assessing recovery experiences among French entrepreneurs. We conclude that the REQ is a valid measure and a useful tool for research on entrepreneurs' general health. Additionally, the validated French version of the REQ can be applied to other working populations, making it a versatile instrument for evaluating health and recovery in diverse occupational settings. To support this claim, we conducted the same validation analysis on a sample of 1,231 French agricultural employees, again showing that REQ is a valid and reliable measure for assessing recovery experiences.

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.

Exploring social cognition in an international context: insights from the social representations perspective on legitimacy among French entrepreneurs

ABSTRACT In the field of international entrepreneurship, there are increasing calls for the study of cognition in its social context. In this regard, this article draws on social representations theory to explore and better understand the cognition of entrepreneurs. The objective of the present study is to explore the social representation of legitimacy among different social groups and show how these collective images vary depending on the context in which entrepreneurs operate. By applying social representations theory to data gathered from a sample of 150 French entrepreneurs, we construct a framework that elucidates social development and the changes that influence entrepreneurs’ decision-making. In addition, this article reveals a new avenue of study in relation to legitimacy from a collective perspective.

Entrepreneurial alertness and entrepreneurial orientation: Contributions to opportunity identification

The literature presents entrepreneurial alertness (EA)—a cognitive resource—as an antecedent of entrepreneurial opportunity identification, although empirical evidence is lacking. The aim of this study is to test this relationship and explore the influence of entrepreneurial orientation (EO), which provides a mobilizing vision for leveraging firm's resources, as a mediating mechanism for this relationship. Using data collected from 152 French entrepreneurs, our results empirically confirm the relationship between EA and entrepreneurial opportunity identification. Furthermore, we find a positive relationship between EA and each of the three dimensions of EO (i.e. innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk-taking propensity). However, only one dimension of EO—proactiveness—has a significant relationship with entrepreneurial opportunity identification. Our results highlight the mediating role of proactiveness in the relationship between EA and the identification of entrepreneurial opportunities and also confirm the interest in further research on this critical dimension of EO.

Intensification or diversification: responses by anti health-pass entrepreneurs to French government announcements.

We study the extent to which French entrepreneurs mobilized in an online collective action against the generalization of the health-pass policy in summer 2021. We document the dynamics of registrations on the website Animap.fr where entrepreneurs could claim they would not check the health-pass of their clients. We first note an over-representation of complementary and alternative medicine practitioners among the mobilized people. We also suggest that professionals related to the touristic industry mobilized on the website. Second, we show that the government announcements led to an increase in the mobilization. However, they did not affect the diversity of the entrepreneurs joining the action. This lack of diversity may have restricted the pool of potential participants as well as limited the identification of the "public opinion" to the mobilization.

City of lights, city of pylons: Infrastructures of illumination in colonial Hanoi, 1880s–1920s

AbstractThis article traces the early stages of urban electrification in the French protectorate of Tonkin (in Vietnam’s north) from the late 1880s to the late 1920s. It focuses on Hanoi, where in 1895 the French entrepreneurs Hermenier and Planté secured a concession for lighting the streets of the soon-to-be capital of French Indochina. Before long, the city’s fast-paced development and the concomitant rise in demand for both public and private lighting necessitated contractual amendments and further capital investment in the upgrading of the power station and grid extensions. In 1902, Hermenier converted the business into a joint stock company named the Société Indochinoise d’Électricité with the aim of enabling further growth and geographical expansion. Contractual arrangements were frequently renegotiated and adjusted to new circumstances. However, electricity supplies kept lagging behind the fast pace of demand growth. During the post-First World War years of colonial economic expansion, power failures and blackouts became a routine occurrence and were a frequent target of press coverage. It was only in the late 1920s that electricity supplies improved and turned Hanoi into a city of lights. Although the majority of Vietnamese residents remained excluded from private electricity access throughout the colonial period, electric power quickly became a fact of everyday life for an emerging Vietnamese urban bourgeoisie and served as a marker of modern sophistication. Plans for an interconnected distribution network in the Tonkin delta subsequently also triggered hopes for an electrified future for the countryside.

Results of the official visit of E. Macron and U. von der Leyen to China

On April 5-7, 2023, French President E. Macron and Head of the European Commission U. von der Leyen paid an official three-day visit to China. The article presents opinions of European and Chinese experts and diplomats about the visit. Its results are analyzed, including the results of negotiations with the leader of China and between Chinese and French entrepreneurs. Prospects of cooperation between China and the European Union in general and France in particular are assessed in the economic and political spheres.

Cognitive factors in discouraged borrowers: how entrepreneur's perception affects borrowing discouragement

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate how cognitive factors affect borrowing discouragement among entrepreneurs. Specifically, the study tests the effects of overconfidence, dispositional optimism and entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) on borrowing discouragement.Design/methodology/approachThe study relies on Fraser's (2014) theoretical model to formulate the hypotheses. The results are based on a small sample of French entrepreneurs drawn from the AMADEUS database. Hierarchical Probit estimations are used to access the effects of the cognitive factors on borrowing discouragement.FindingsThe findings suggest that optimistic entrepreneurs are less likely to feel discouraged, while miscalibrated entrepreneurs are more prone to feel borrowing discouragement. There was no significant result for ESE and discouragement.Originality/valueThe study brings new implications and insights to the literature that investigates factors that cause discouragement in entrepreneurs, as well as implications for policymakers.

Deliberate practice of entrepreneurial learning and self-efficacy: the moderating effect of entrepreneurial parental environment as role modeling

PurposeThis study explores the relationship between intense exposure to entrepreneurship education and training (EET), defined as the deliberate practice of entrepreneurial learning, and self-efficacy, for entrepreneurs in the post-creation stage. When analyzing this relationship, we account for individuals' entrepreneurial experience gained through parental ties with entrepreneurs as a moderating variable. In doing so, our research aims to contribute to the literature on the relationship between EET and entrepreneurial self-efficacy in several ways. First, we address the relationship by bridging the gap between intention and action in the context of actual entrepreneurs engaged in the early stages of their new ventures. In doing so and drawing on the theory of planned behavior, we complement the important stream of research on entrepreneurial intention by highlighting antecedents of entrepreneurial self-efficacy in the post-creation stage. Second, when analyzing the relationship between EET and self-efficacy for actual entrepreneurs, we approach EET as a deliberate practice of voluntary exposure to new entrepreneurial knowledge. Third, we provide new insights into the EET–self-efficacy relationship by exploring the moderating effect of entrepreneurial vicarious learning and, more specifically, the individual's embeddedness in an entrepreneurial parental environment. Finally, drawing from Kirkpatrick's (1959a, b, 1960a, b, 1996) reference framework on training and education evaluation, we provide empirical observations of EET outcomes evaluated in the later (“behavior” and “results”) stages.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the theory of planned behavior as well as role modeling and absorptive capacity, we develop hypotheses that we examine using a sample of 76 French entrepreneurs who have created new ventures since less than five years.FindingsThe results show no significant direct influence of the intensity of EET on the different dimensions used to measure entrepreneurial self-efficacy. However, we find that entrepreneurial parental environment and non-entrepreneurial parental environment constitute two distinct moderating learning contexts leading to opposite EET intensity–self-efficacy relationships.Originality/valueOur research has several implications for both scholars and practitioners. From a theoretical standpoint, we extend the debate on direct and vicarious experiences and their respective impact on self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977; Baron and Henry, 2010). In the context of actual entrepreneurs in the post-creation stage, our results neither support nor invalidate the superiority of one specific type of experience. In our research, vicarious experience appears fully effective when interacted with other sources of learning such as EET. As such, theoretical attention should shift from the stand-alone effect of vicarious experience on self-efficacy to its fostering effect on other learning sources. Rather than opposing these two (direct and vicarious) types of experiences, future research should theorize their joint effect on entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Moreover, in showing the importance of entrepreneurial parental environment, our research responds to the call to further study the contingent factors enhancing the impact of EET (and deliberate practice of entrepreneurial learning) on entrepreneurial self-efficacy (Fayolle and Gailly, 2015; Litzky et al., 2020; Rideout and Gray, 2013). From a practical standpoint, our results help formulate recommendations on how to design EET programs to enhance nascent and actual entrepreneurs' self-efficacy. Given the central role of an entrepreneurial parental environment in developing self-efficacy, we suggest that, in addition to teaching traditional entrepreneurial academic content, EET programs should allow students to vicariously experience the entrepreneur's curriculum through in-depth role modeling. More precisely, this role modeling should go beyond mere testimonials and engage students in trusted, intense, repeated interactions with inspiring instructors, both entrepreneurs and lecturers, to create and activate the fostering conditions of an entrepreneurial (parental) environment. In simulating quasi-parental role modeling within EET programs, academic institutions can contextualize the positive impact of EET on entrepreneurial venturing.

Argonauts and Icaruses: Social networks and dynamics of nascent international entrepreneurs

Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, we consider internationalization as a process of field crossing and apply this framework to nascent international entrepreneurs. The analysis of 37 interviews with French entrepreneurs, managers, and support providers in China allows identifying two types of international entrepreneurs: (1) “Fallen Icaruses”, unable to incorporate and exhibit a global habitus and who fall back to the home field, and (2) “Global Argonauts”, incorporating and exhibiting a global habitus and who proceed with internationalization. Our findings show that social networks can be hostile to newcomers and that incumbents in those networks first assess newcomers’ “compatibility”. We posit that the success of international initiatives by entrepreneurs depends on their ability to cross and fit into different “fields”, and to develop various forms of social relationships in those fields.

Risk of burnout in French entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 crisis

The COVID-19 crisis presents manifest threats for entrepreneurs since their business survival is often directly at stake given the alarming economic downturn. This existential threat, together with their crucial role in the economy, is the reason for the plethora of public financial support schemes being implemented throughout the entire world. However, support schemes for mental health are lacking. We aim to investigate, first, whether burnout levels have increased during the crisis and, second, whether burnout levels during the COVID-19 crisis depend on the threat of becoming ill, having to stay at home due to the lockdown, and/or having to file for bankruptcy due to the economic downturn. We do so using seven data sets of French entrepreneurs with a temporal comparison of averages and two data sets of French entrepreneurs with a cross-sectional analysis of individuals. Our findings show that indeed, the risks of burnout have increased during the pandemic and that the threat of bankruptcy is the dominant threat. As an increasing number of studies in the entrepreneurship literature indicate that entrepreneurs’ mental health influences their activities, as well as the growth and sustainability of their ventures, our study is important and timely in its contribution, as it takes a close look at the perception of burnout in general and more specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic.Plain English SummaryThe risk of burnout in French entrepreneurs has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which calls for not only financial support but also other forms of support. The COVID-19 pandemic presents many threats for entrepreneurs since their business survival is often directly at stake. These threats are not just financial but also related to health, such as the threat of burnout. The findings of our study show that for French entrepreneurs, the threat of burnout increased after the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. This finding raises the question whether this outcome is due to the threat to health, the effects of the lockdown, or the threat of bankruptcy. It appears that all three factors play important roles, although the financial threat is the dominant threat. These findings call for the extension of entrepreneurial support systems beyond the financial area by also involving an “entrepreneurship care” aspect, which includes telephone support, webinars, and mental help facilities.

French Industrial Enterprises in the Russian Empire: Big Business in a Transnational Perspective

Introduction. The article explores the presence of French enterprises in the late Russian Empire in order to better understand the role and weight of French firms in global big business on the eve of World War I. The author argues that the presence of large industrial enterprises operated by French businesses should be taken into consideration when discussing the organizational capabilities of modern French enterprises. This may change the perception of France as a “follower in Western Europe” in the historiography of big industrial businesses. Materials and Methods. Large French enterprises operated in the late Russian Empire are identified based on primary sources (lists of enterprises and joint-stock companies), the RUSCORP database of Russian corporations compiled by Thomas Owen, and with the help of secondary sources. Results. The paper demonstrates that several companies operated in the Russian Empire, and owned or controlled by French businesses meet the criteria of “big business” by international standards. However, because they operated beyond the borders of France, scholars did not include these firms in the lists of French big business. In addition, many companies in the Russian Empire were established on French capital and run by French managers but registered as Russian firms. It seems that French businesses were more successful in establishing and running large industrial enterprises abroad than in the territory of their own country. This might explain why French companies are relatively poorly represented in the global ranks of the largest companies before World War I. Discussion and Conclusions. It was not only French businesses that created large industrial enterprises in Russia. There were also several British, German, Belgian, and American big businesses, so these should all be taken into account when discussing the presence of big foreign businesses in Russia. To have precise evaluations, we need to develop further the global list of the largest enterprises, which would include multinationals and free-standing companies as well. The argument of researchers who placed France to the cohort of the “followers in Western Europe” was that France, in principle, was retarded with creating large industrial enterprises. The transnational approach revealed that while in France, there were few big industrial businesses, French entrepreneurs developed them successfully outside the country. The Russian case demonstrates that French business was able to establish and operate large industrial enterprises. The presence of many large French manufacturing and mining enterprises abroad is the evidence against the thesis that French industrialists were unable to benefit from the scale and scope effect.

Troy buys DBM Blending & its Moerdijk labs

Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, we consider internationalization as a process of field crossing and apply this framework to nascent international entrepreneurs. The analysis of 37 interviews with French entrepreneurs, managers, and support providers in China allows identifying two types of international entrepreneurs: (1) “Fallen Icaruses”, unable to incorporate and exhibit a global habitus and who fall back to the home field, and (2) “Global Argonauts”, incorporating and exhibiting a global habitus and who proceed with internationalization. Our findings show that social networks can be hostile to newcomers and that incumbents in those networks first assess newcomers’ “compatibility”. We posit that the success of international initiatives by entrepreneurs depends on their ability to cross and fit into different “fields”, and to develop various forms of social relationships in those fields.

Chroma Color Corp buys Polymer Concentrates Inc

Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, we consider internationalization as a process of field crossing and apply this framework to nascent international entrepreneurs. The analysis of 37 interviews with French entrepreneurs, managers, and support providers in China allows identifying two types of international entrepreneurs: (1) “Fallen Icaruses”, unable to incorporate and exhibit a global habitus and who fall back to the home field, and (2) “Global Argonauts”, incorporating and exhibiting a global habitus and who proceed with internationalization. Our findings show that social networks can be hostile to newcomers and that incumbents in those networks first assess newcomers’ “compatibility”. We posit that the success of international initiatives by entrepreneurs depends on their ability to cross and fit into different “fields”, and to develop various forms of social relationships in those fields.

Tronox hopes to complete the Cristal acquisition by 1 April 2019

Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, we consider internationalization as a process of field crossing and apply this framework to nascent international entrepreneurs. The analysis of 37 interviews with French entrepreneurs, managers, and support providers in China allows identifying two types of international entrepreneurs: (1) “Fallen Icaruses”, unable to incorporate and exhibit a global habitus and who fall back to the home field, and (2) “Global Argonauts”, incorporating and exhibiting a global habitus and who proceed with internationalization. Our findings show that social networks can be hostile to newcomers and that incumbents in those networks first assess newcomers’ “compatibility”. We posit that the success of international initiatives by entrepreneurs depends on their ability to cross and fit into different “fields”, and to develop various forms of social relationships in those fields.

Contextualizing Entrepreneurial Legitimacy: The Interplay of Internal and External Social Representations

Entrepreneurial legitimacy has been described as a trigger of entrepreneurial career choice and motivation, meaning that the propensity of an individual to engage in an entrepreneurial career increases with the social legitimacy of the career. However, more than a predictor of entrepreneurial success, entrepreneurial legitimacy is a complex social construct that determines the diffusion of entrepreneurial culture in different countries. This article aims to contribute to contextualizing entrepreneurial legitimacy by acknowledging its social genesis and dynamics, and by showing the variety of social interactions that it encompasses. The article examines the discursive strategies that entrepreneurs use to gain legitimacy among their audiences, and studies the representations and expectations attached to the figure of the entrepreneur by current and aspiring students in a Master’s program in Entrepreneurship. We gather the views of three social groups that actively engage in the social construction of entrepreneurial legitimacy in order to identify their convergent and divergent social representations of what it means to “be an entrepreneur.” Based on a questionnaire survey of 529 French participants and on 30 qualitative interviews, we present and compare the social representations of French entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship held by SME entrepreneurs and current and potential students in a Master’s in entrepreneurship program. We found that entrepreneurial legitimacy is a collective outcome of various social representations circulating in the public space that affects entrepreneurs’ ability to develop their businesses and their identities, along with their willingness and capacity to promote the entrepreneurial spirit in society.

Merci Handy: From start-up to born-global?

Two young, French entrepreneurs, Louis Marty and Roland Jais Nielsen, founded Merci Handy in 2014 with the objective of revolutionizing everyday cosmetics and internationalizing quickly. The case discusses the first steps of their international development and addresses the internationalization process of born-global companies. It also questions the benefits and opportunities of start-ups when addressing a global target.

Color Corp of America appoints Ravago as exclusive US distributor

Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, we consider internationalization as a process of field crossing and apply this framework to nascent international entrepreneurs. The analysis of 37 interviews with French entrepreneurs, managers, and support providers in China allows identifying two types of international entrepreneurs: (1) “Fallen Icaruses”, unable to incorporate and exhibit a global habitus and who fall back to the home field, and (2) “Global Argonauts”, incorporating and exhibiting a global habitus and who proceed with internationalization. Our findings show that social networks can be hostile to newcomers and that incumbents in those networks first assess newcomers’ “compatibility”. We posit that the success of international initiatives by entrepreneurs depends on their ability to cross and fit into different “fields”, and to develop various forms of social relationships in those fields.

Sensient buys Mazza Innovation

Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, we consider internationalization as a process of field crossing and apply this framework to nascent international entrepreneurs. The analysis of 37 interviews with French entrepreneurs, managers, and support providers in China allows identifying two types of international entrepreneurs: (1) “Fallen Icaruses”, unable to incorporate and exhibit a global habitus and who fall back to the home field, and (2) “Global Argonauts”, incorporating and exhibiting a global habitus and who proceed with internationalization. Our findings show that social networks can be hostile to newcomers and that incumbents in those networks first assess newcomers’ “compatibility”. We posit that the success of international initiatives by entrepreneurs depends on their ability to cross and fit into different “fields”, and to develop various forms of social relationships in those fields.

BASF appoints Ribelin as a US kaolin distributor

Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, we consider internationalization as a process of field crossing and apply this framework to nascent international entrepreneurs. The analysis of 37 interviews with French entrepreneurs, managers, and support providers in China allows identifying two types of international entrepreneurs: (1) “Fallen Icaruses”, unable to incorporate and exhibit a global habitus and who fall back to the home field, and (2) “Global Argonauts”, incorporating and exhibiting a global habitus and who proceed with internationalization. Our findings show that social networks can be hostile to newcomers and that incumbents in those networks first assess newcomers’ “compatibility”. We posit that the success of international initiatives by entrepreneurs depends on their ability to cross and fit into different “fields”, and to develop various forms of social relationships in those fields.