Seeing What Others Miss: A Study of Women Entrepreneurs in High-Growth Startups

Neill Stern (), Metcalf Lynn () and York Jonathan L. ()
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Neill Stern: Orfalea College of Business, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
Metcalf Lynn: Orfalea College of Business, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
York Jonathan L.: Orfalea College of Business, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA

Entrepreneurship Research Journal, 2015, vol. 5, issue 4, 293-322

Abstract: A pressing question in entrepreneurial research is where opportunities come from. Prior research indicates that some opportunities stem from known parameters and outcomes; some are discovered through engagement with unknown but knowable factors; and others are unknowable until brought into being through a creative process. This paper explores the second and more prevailing view in entrepreneurial research – that individuals discover business opportunity – and examines how high-growth entrepreneurs perceive opportunity through engagement with the world. Survey results, based on responses from 165 women entrepreneurs in high-growth startups, indicate that individuals with a strong discover mindset act and think in ways that support opportunity perception. Coupled with a belief in her abilities, the entrepreneur is more likely to move from opportunity perception to new venture creation. Results from semi-structured interviews with women from the same population elucidate the survey findings and yield implications for entrepreneurial theory and practice.

Keywords: opportunity perception; behaviors; cognition; high-growth startups; women entrepreneurs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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DOI: 10.1515/erj-2014-0009

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