Evolution of entrepreneurial teams in technology-based new ventures

Technology-based entrepreneurship is an influential source of scalable economic growth and major improvements in public health, environmental sustainability, and wealth creation. The mechanisms through which entrepreneurs shape their ventures are often contingent on factors related to the institutional characteristics of the national economy, industry, and most importantly – the entrepreneurs themselves. This PhD dissertation, highlights the essential role of the entrepreneurs at the heart of technology-based new ventures – with a specific focus on entrepreneurs’ experience, disposition and actions. This dissertation consists of three papers: one literature review and two empirical studies. First, a systematic literature review was performed to map extant work and to identify existing gaps and avenues for future research. We then aim to address these research gaps in a unique longitudinal dataset of Flemish technology-based new ventures and founders’ career histories. The first empirical study examines the role of lead founder’s personality traits as a source of potential bias in assembling and structuring the founding team. By delving into the micro-foundations of founding team structures and focusing on the entrepreneurs’ individual disposition, this study aims to contribute to the important question of why management teams look the way they do and why there is high degree of heterogeneity with regard to how founders start their firms. The second empirical study examines the antecedents of a new managerial hire in technology-based new venture. We argue that antecedents of new member addition can be traced to the attributes of team, organization and environment in which new ventures operate. We further examine and discuss the relative importance of these attributes. Overall, this dissertation provides a deeper understanding of the role of individuals and teams in new venture creation, with a specific focus on team emergence and evolution.

Jaar van publicatie:2019

Trefwoorden:Doctoral thesis

Toegankelijkheid:Open