Confirmatory search as a useful heuristic? testing the veracity of entrepreneurial conjectures

Dean A. Shepherd, J. Michael Haynie and Jeffery S. McMullen

Journal of Business Venturing, 2012, vol. 27, issue 6, 637-651

Abstract: Researchers have focused attention on the problematic effects of confirmatory search applied to opportunity evaluations, arguing that a confirmatory strategy almost always leads to poor decisions. The implicit assumption of this research is that confirmatory search cannot conclusively falsify an entrepreneurial conjecture. In this article we focus on circumstances where the search for confirming information (positive test strategy) is a superior strategy for testing the veracity of a conjecture.

Keywords: Opportunity; Conjecture; Test; Doubt; Belief (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbvent:v:27:y:2012:i:6:p:637-651

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2011.06.002

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